A Note to Parents

Now that the parents' evening is over I would like to communicate with you what the main issues were so that you are all aware of them. First of all I would sincerely like to apologize for not being exactly on time but I am sure you can appreciate the fact that I have one of the largest classes at school and some issues take more time to deal with.

1. This website. I put a lot of time into putting up and maintaining this website. My original idea was that I share important news and information with you and the children and to make learning more fun. From your feedback I could see that some of you loved the idea while some others had some problems regarding the posting of compositions. Let me make myself clear. Posting of compositions is not obligatory. However, considering that one of the reasons I put up this website was that so children could learn from each other's writing, this website would be empty if children do not send their work. It would therefore be meaningless to keep this website running and I would have no choice but to take it down if there is a lack of children sending their work. It would be extremely unfair to share a composition with someone when that someone does not share his! Also, maintaining this website costs me a lot of time, usually until late at night. Apart from this, I cannot give the corrected compositions to the children earlier as on average it takes me about four to five hours correcting the composition copybooks the way I do with all the feedback and corrections I write down for them. I am in no way obliged to write down comments. I do this voluntary but I do this as I find that it motivates the children to write more interesting and better composition.

2. Time Management. By year 6 children should be able to use their time well. I plan the homework I give on how long the children spend writing the classwork. Those children who take a lot of time to write the homework should time themselves. I simply cannot understand how at home they take a much longer time to write their homework when this work is given in proportion to the work they had done at school. Please make sure that the children concentrate on their homework and they do their homework in a supervised quiet environment with a minimum of distractions.

3. Past Papers. As you should probably know by now there is a set syllabus which needs to be covered before the Annual Exams and a different syllabus that needs to be covered before the Junior Lyceum Exams. I simply cannot start working a Common Entrance Exam paper when there are some items that we have not covered yet. Above all this, we were asked by the Director General of Education a few years ago that past papers should under no circumstance take the place of homework / classwork / lessons until very close to the exam itself. This does not mean that I won't be working past papers. As soon as we come back from the Christmas holidays we will start working hard on tests and past papers. Before this can be done however, children should see that they learn how to manage their time properly as the workload (homework / classwork) during that time will greatly increase. My method has worked for me and my children during the past years that I have been teaching so I am confident it will keep doing so.

4. Contacting Me. I love hearing about how well your children are doing at school as much as I like to know about problems which I can help your children solve. In case you have a difficulty or would like to know about something better please feel free either to contact me on your children's notebook, by writing a note or by phoning the school during school hours. I am sure you understand that I cannot take any phone calls from you at my home. If I can be of assistance please make use of the school contact hours or by writing. While thanking you for your consideration I hope you understand.

Well, that said, I am happy to see that most of the children come happily to school as I want them to. Teachers should love all children and I as a father myself, look at the children as if they were my own. When we have to correct someone it is to his or her benefit so that we can help them have an easier and more enjoyable scholastic years as well as be an example to other citizens when they grow up to become the men and women of tomorrow.

I would be happy to receive feedback from you to know that you have read and understood this post.