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Answers From The Teacher When I picked up my son from his after-school program, the classroom smelled of paint. I could see that the students had painted posters. They were working in a small area without very good ventilation and the fumes were strong. Are there rules about what materials can and can’t be used in schools? I’m concerned that the paint fumes might be harmful. There are very strict rules about what kinds of materials that are permitted for use in schools. You need to call the director of the day-care program and tell her about the experience. It’s possible that someone brought something in from home that wasn’t supposed to be there. The Head of the Building and Grounds department has a list of paints and other materials that are allowed for use in schools. The person in charge of this situation will be able to determine if the product is safe for use with children. Obviously, there are certain products that are not allowed because they could be potentially harmful. School personnel are trained to be cautious about the products they use around children. When something like this occurs, it could be a simple mistake, but could have dangerous results. Don’t overlook this situation. My daughter’s mid-quarter report shows me that she’s not keeping up. She’s in danger of failing two subjects. How come the teachers didn’t contact me sooner? I don’t like to be surprised by poor grades. The purpose of the mid-quarter report is to inform you of your daughter’s progress, or lack of it. Mid-quarter reports keep everyone in the education loop and inform the parent, teacher, and student of the existing grades, so that if there are any failing marks, there is still time to improve the situation be the end of the quarter. If you feel that you need a more immediate notification of failing grades, discuss the matter with your daughter’s teachers. Some schools have a weekly report that teachers can quickly fill out toward the end of the week. The student brings the report home with them on Friday. Of course it would be impossible to a teacher to fill one out for every child every Friday, but a weekly report may be just enough to get your daughter back on track. Another simple was to keep informed of your daughter’s progress is to ask her to show you what she’s studying in a certain subject area each week. Chances are there are homework grades, test grades, and quiz grades that the teacher hands back to your daughter. Ask her to keep them in one place; then find some quiet time over the weekend to sit down together and look over the material. Not only will it keep you informed of her grades, but it will also allow you to talk to her about the subjects she’s learning each quarter. You’ll discover if she is organized, writing neatly, and taking care of her notebooks and textbooks. If she’s in danger of failing, you need to address the issue now, instead of a week before the report card comes out for the next quarter. Otherwise, it will be a case of too little, too late. Send questions to: Answers from the Teacher, P.O. Box 54, South Egre-mont, MA 01258. Questions may also be emailed to ateacher@bcn.net.
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