Homework

Calhoun

Yesterday Calhoun's homework was to "draw a boy with 2 qualities".  I felt that I understood the Spanish but had no idea what he was supposed to draw.  His class seems to be working on parts of the face so I thought that perhaps what was meant was that he should draw two parts of his face.  So I went to ask our neighbor, Matilde.  It was obvious to her.  He was to draw two different emotions.  But on one boy?  

Two pictures of the same boy having two different emotions.  Done (see attached).

Ari

I found two photocopies of a drawing of a flower in Ari's backpack last week.  If I had found them in Ari's backpack in the States I would have assumed they were just for fun.  But they don't just give out paper here.  So I kept them.  A couple days later I was asking our neighbor if there was any homework and she mentioned something about a flower and the stations of the cross.  She didn't seem to have more information except that Ari was to hand them in on Monday when she has Religion.  As the due date approached, I asked Matilde again but either she didn't understand the assignment or I couldn't understand her explanation.  So I turned to the other gringa mother. She's lived her for years and her daughter speaks Spanish well.  

She wrote me back:

"I think it has to do with the stations of the cross.  I believe there are 14 (??).  I got [my daughter] to write one on each flower, 1 word on each petal.  The teacher didn't say it was wrong.  But she didn't say it was correct either."

Wait!  Why had she already turned it in???  I thought it was due Monday?  So Ari and I got to work.  I explained the stations of the cross so that she would have some idea of what she was writing.  We looked at them in English and then we set about putting my idea of a Spanish phrase that captured the essence of that station on each petal.  Except each flower had 8 petals.  So that left two blank.  She turned it in.  They gave it right back to her and had her color it.  Our time might have been spent better counting to 120.  

And while we are on the subject of school I should state that I have a really hard time understanding why you would require any kids, but especially those 3-5, to wear white shirts.  I drop off Calhoun in a white shirt and he returns to me in a brown-streaked shirt with the occasional splash of red or blue from ridiculous candy that the nuns give him for free because he's charming.  

But Ari and Calhoun seem to like this school (perhaps having to do with the aforementioned ridiculous candy) so I will cease complaining.  For now.