The squeaky wheel gets the Greece

[primsong]

I ended up seeking a meeting with our principal this morning about the troubles we're having with the Greek homework - the kids just can't figure it out. Turns out we aren't the only ones (thank heavens) - next year they're changing it to only in the upper grades (7-12), and then only at the introductory level for two years, and then they'll have Spanish for another language option if they don't want to keep at it. Whew.

Also turns out my kids were being taught at the same level as the rest of the class that had already had it for two years before they got there - no wonder we were sinking beneath the waves! :-/


On another note, it is beautiful outside and I discovered among the burgeoning bluebells my tivoli, that I *swear* was dead - I was certain I had somehow killed it last year, was not only alive but blooming. It's aliiiive! Minor victories like this can make my whole week.



First I had to talk to it, then yank up a number of 'bells that were choking it, then run for my camera like a little kid who found a candy-plant in their yard. The pic isn't that great, but these really are pretty, they have silver spots and bi-color blooms.

Comments

[lin4gondor.livejournal.com]

I still am amazed that Greek is even being taught to junior and senior high schoolers! Greek for grad students in seminary isn't any easier! But granted, it would be fantastic to be able to read the Bible in the original Greek. I remember a professor I had in Bible school, who could do it so well, he read out loud in class, translating the Greek as he went. He was definitely gifted in it!

I suppose your students still have to keep learning it though? ;-)

We have tulip bulbs starting to come, though we also have a squirrel who is digging them up and eating them on our back deck. Grrr!

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

Holy Cow! They are teaching it to *elementary school kids*??? I honestly think that they should keep it for at college/grad school/seminary level students.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

They introduced the concept of the alphabet in second/third grade, then went to actually learning it in fourth. Some of the kids do okay with it if it is introduced gradually, like learning a secret code I guess.

By 5th/6th they are filling in charts of dative/nomitive/genative from memory and beginning to translate simple phrases, but it's been a hard row to hoe with us coming in behind the rest of them and used to a different language structure from our Latin studies. :-P

[primsong.livejournal.com]

It is a young school, and I think they are still in the 'rolling back the grand dreams' phase of things - they originally wanted Greek all the way through to graduation with the idea that it would be coming naturally to them by then. Then it was just four years of Greek required....next year it will only be two years, and that only in the upper grades. (how long until it is an elective I can't help but wonder) In the meantime, they are introducing conversational Spanish to the elementary instead, which will be *much* easier to learn.

And yes, we do have to slog through the rest of this year, but the teacher has agreed to grade on whether they *try* instead of whether it is right. ;-) He is a very nice fellow.

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

FLOWERS! Goodie for you! They're so pretty! The view out my window at the moment happens to be completely white. The noreaster they predicted (and why do they have to be right when it's bad weather??) has dumped about 4 inches of snow on us so far and it's supposed to continue till tomorrow. hoo rah

I do have flowers, though. My kitchen "garden window" (little bow window, which I love dearly) has two african violets in bloom. And to assure us that spring is indeed coming, my gloxinia, which dies off completely over the winter, is starting to send up little green shoots, and my amaryllis is now up about 6 inches. Last year that thing bloomed like crazy, so I'm excited to see what it will do this year.

[estellye.livejournal.com]

It sounds as the the principal and the teacher are both being very reasonable. That must be a relief to you and the children!

Sometimes I think plants just like to surprise us, lol. It's lovely!

[maidoforange.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine learning Greek! I know Mom had Latin in school. Beautiful bluebells!

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I'm beginning to think so too! I enjoyed picking up some of the Latin along with them, it's very useful and there's so much of it in our own language as well as in Spanish and Italian, for instance. The Greek doesn't seem as useful, though I know we have a lot of roots in English from them as well I think it would be better if they would just teach it phonetically with our own alphabet. The weird letters are a real stumbling block to an old dog like me.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

A great relief indeed, though they've always been so very good to us at this school I had high hopes for a good solution or compromise somehow. Whew...

One of my very favorite things in life is finding a surprise plant blooming someplace unexpected. I have grown fond of my lycoris lilies for that very reason, they pop up so suddenly and without even any leaves - and then they disappear and I can't remember where they were until they do it again! :-D The tivoli was chosen for its beauty and I was so upset that it lay there looking like Igor last summer and fall, I was sure I'd only condemned it to death by bringing it to my yard. What a joy.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Long may they bloom! I've never gotten the hang of getting my african violet to bloom - I won it as a prize at a baby shower a couple years ago, and it's been just leaves ever since... They are such pretty things.

Snow again? Still? Ack! I couldn't bear more winter now, I feel for you.

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

I was trying to learn Greek a while back, but having learned Elvish turned out to be a drawback - the Elvish H is the same shape as the Greek small L (lambda)! I see that letter and get all mixed up which language I'm reading! O.o

I really need to know the lowercase Greek alphabet for astronomy studies, though. I should give it another try...