Avie started middle school today. 6th grade. That’s middle school here in Tacoma. I’m not sure what your town does to divide the students up into age groups but when I was growing up school was K-6, 7-8, and 9-12. Well, I say that’s how it was but I actually went to school in several places. Some places middle-school went to 9th grade and others it didn’t.
From what I understand there are biological reasons why they moved 6th grade to middle-school. I do remember 6th grade being the year that I started trying to kiss girls. So there’s a logic to why they don’t want 6th graders running around trying to kiss 4th graders. Though by that same logic I suspect that 8th graders will try to kiss the 6th graders.
I don’t think it’s a huge brag to say that I was successful in kissing girls. Twice! I was basically the James Bond of the 6th grade.
The first was a closet kiss. I had been passing notes to one of the girls in class (rather than study my math) and she agreed to go into the closet with me at recess. I could pretend that I remember the acrid smell of cleaning supplies and oily rags but I really don’t. I only remember that we thought we had snuck away without anyone noticing. The closet was dark. My heart was racing. This was the most exciting thing I had ever done – more exciting than that time I got to see Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back in the theater. We bumped into each other awkwardly – groping around in the dark for another body. Then it happened, we bumped our lips together.
When we left the closet one of our classmates was there. I think he even said “UMMMMM” like we used to do to tell someone that we know they had been nad. He threatened to tell the teacher. She “dumped” me later that day. I probably had peanut butter breath or maybe it was because I was one of the weird kids and now everyone knew that she kissed the weird kid.
That was 6th grade. Ok, that was part of 6th grade. There was also me being put in remedial math (because I wasn’t paying attention). I think I also did some big jumps on my sled and knocked the wind out of myself. Oh and I got kicked off the baseball team, rode my bike everywhere, played nerf football every morning before school, and learned how to shoot a gun – my dad taught me.
All of this is to say that Avie is going to have a good year.
I am also telling you this because her change of school necessitates a change in my schedule. Twice a week I need to drive her to school and she needs to be there at 0745. That means I might not be able to publish articles on Thursday/Fridays. Sorry.
Anyway, see you all on Saturday!
Heh, my second son started 6th grade today as well.
I’m telling you and anyone who will listen, the stupidest thing about our school district (is it like this everywhere in the US?) is this: elementary school starts at 9am, middle school starts at 8am, and high school starts at 7am. WHO MADE THIS UP? BIOLOGICAL REASONS? I’LL GIVE YOU BIOLOGICAL REASONS: everyone and their dog knows that the youngest kids are the first ones up in the morning (like 6:45ish, they’re just naturally ready to go), the pre-pubescents are up next, and the adolescents just want to sleep, sleep, sleep.
So is it all of America that’s this stupid, or just my county?
I grew up in Canada, which DID do it properly: youngest kids start first. Oldest kids start last. It means, too, that parents who have to get to work earlyish get the young ones who need the actual supervision to school in time for their own commute, leaving the adolescents to take care of getting to school themselves, as they are perfectly capable of doing!
Sorry for the rant. I really feel for my teenager right now, forcing him out of bed. Ugh.
Thanks for sharing your 6th-grade memories (or, as I called it in Canada, grade 6!). I have similar ones, except for the kissing girls part. Too shy.
Seattle changed their times. It’s only a matter of time before Tacoma follows suit: https://www.washington.edu/news/2018/12/12/high-school-start-times-study/
It’s common sense, but that study backs it up nicely. Thanks for sharing. Gives me hope.
Agree. Having high school kids start earlier is backwards. It’s very hard getting my almost 17 year old daughter out of bed in the morning.
The generally expressed reason for this is the after-school sports. But I’m not sure that’s a good enough justification.
Yes, I’ve heard the after-school sports argument (basically, it’s driven by the hegemony of football programs), but, like you, I don’t think it’s a good justification. Besides, more sleep for your teenager means better performance on the field, and fewer injuries.
See this recent article in The Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/04/how-school-start-times-affect-high-school-athletics/522537/
Driving my son to school used to be the best part of my day.
15 minutes of real quality time we both still think fondly of after all these years.
Good for you Tim.
Priorities………..even if it means less opportunities for debates.
A piece of advice, Tim, from the father of an eighth grade girl. Now this may have already happened, but she is going to start pulling away a bit. And the best advice I heard about this age was not to take things too personally.
My 13-year old is the greatest kid in the world, but she is still more or less a human side eye emoji. And she is embarrassed by me if I’m within a 20-mile radius. But she will still have moments where she allows her feelings to shine through. Those moments are just more fleeting than before but even more meaningful now. Sort of like goals in soccer vs field goals in basketball.
It’s a challenging time. Middle school can be a scary place. I am fortunate that my daughter has a good group of friends and that good grades are part of their currency. She has been able to navigate these years well – a huge credit to her.
So basically, be patient. Be reliable. Be available even when she doesn’t seem interested. She will be interested, but won’t be able to express it. And hold onto those moments where she shows her appreciation. That’s how she really feels, but will only occasionally admit.
Dad taught you how to shoot a gun?
I suppose that might come in handy should you want to eliminate a few of your personal enemies.
Hunting mostly. I’ve never shot another human despite my military service.
Where I live the children start primary school at the age of 6 and secondary school four years later. And this is a complete change of the environment for all of them, since the primary and secondary schools are completely separate, different buildings, different sizes, different approach of teachers. Even the counting of classes starts again from 1. So instead of 5th grade, you are “1st grade Middle school”.
So basically at age of 10 the children have to start all over.New classmates, new environment. But most importantly, the choice of the school (which, of course, is parents’ job) depends on the notes the kids receive in 3rd and 4th grade. Which in my opinion is way too early and might result that some otherwise bright kids have ended in average schools just because they didn’t understand completely at the age of 8 the connection between studying, marks and life choices.
I think that I am lucky that my older daughter (who have just started her 2nd year in gymnasium (middle school)) was diligent enough to make it to a good school and lucky enough to rejoin there with some of her primary school friends.
I miss school. My high school years were great despite the usual adolescent trials and tribulations. Our school was actually ta French speaking school and an English speaking in one building on two shifts, morning and afternoon switching every six weeks.
This was on the Quebec / New Brunswick border and some of the the French kids were Quebecois who would bus into town every day from across the river.
I shared my locker one year with a drop dead gorgeous French girl. Her English was better than my French but I could play guitar and (ice) hockey! Fun times.
Hope your daughter has a fantastic year. She is so bright and I enjoy reading your stories about her.