🚀 go-pugleaf

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-6C2BA1.23020124042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
| DS is 4y 2mo now.  We've known for a long time that he's bright, that he's
| good with language, and so on.  But it is still a bit confronting to see
your
| preschooler *reading*, when you know that you and your DH were not doing
it at
| that age!  Not every word he sees, no; but enough for us to know that he's
| reading words, not reciting from memory or working it out from context.
|
| Today at the supermarket, we decided to indulge, and picked out packets of
| chips for ourselves.  Thought DS had grabbed some Cheezels.  At the car,
he
| read "Holes".  Sure enough, they were Cheezel Holes, but DS is not
familiar
| with the related concept of Donut Holes, the picture wasn't really
| enlightening, and we can't recall reading any stories with "holes" in them
| recently.
|
| Two things surprise us.  The first is the size of his reading vocabulary.
| Back when I did Language Acquisition in Psychology, it was thought that
most
| of us have about a 50-word whole-word vocabulary.  DS must be getting
close to
| that now.  He can't, AFAICT, break a word into sounds yet -- he's reading
it
| as a unit, though he's aware of the word as a fixed letter sequence.  The
| second is for how long he must be remembering some words, like "holes" in
the
| anecdote above.
|
| DS also likes to put pen to paper and produce marks like running-writing.
We
| mere parents can't read it, of course, because DS is writing (he tells us)
in
| *German*.  He reads it back to us in gibberish.  We aren't
German-speakers,
| though DS has probably heard me mention this as one of Grandpa's
languages.
| AFAIK there are no German-speakers at daycare.
|
| I don't know that we need to change what we do with him, though
suggestions
| are welcome, but I'm just a bit staggered...


Um is your name Melissa and we've stepped back in time by ooohhhh 9 years??
This is EXACTLY how we clicked to J being different. We had this hugeeee
Bridgestone sticker thing in the garage and we always thought he was just
recognising the "symbol/look" (kwim??)

Anyway I went shopping with him one day and he was reading stuff as we went
along but I still thought it was recognition rather than reading...so we
wrote it down...lots of words, written by different people, in different
styles. He could read them all.

So we gave him magazines and papers with a few words and he could read. It
blew our minds. Even now he still blows ours minds with the stuff he does.
Today he was in his room doing his OWN math sums...trying to find a number
that would end up whole? I think it was if it was dived by 7!! He spent
hours on it...I think he got the answer he was after but fell asleep!

I would suggest you get in touch with your local MCH centre and take it from
there. She should be able to give you links to the GIFTED childrens centres
(or goggle them) but defaintely get hold of them.

Congrats...you have a very bright little person!

melissa

|
| -- 
| Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
| (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
|
| "In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
| nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
| Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

oooh brainy!  go DS!

c

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message 
news:ehrebeniuk-6C2BA1.23020124042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> DS is 4y 2mo now.  We've known for a long time that he's bright, that he's
> good with language, and so on.  But it is still a bit confronting to see 
> your
> preschooler *reading*, when you know that you and your DH were not doing 
> it at
> that age!  Not every word he sees, no; but enough for us to know that he's
> reading words, not reciting from memory or working it out from context.
>
> Today at the supermarket, we decided to indulge, and picked out packets of
> chips for ourselves.  Thought DS had grabbed some Cheezels.  At the car, 
> he
> read "Holes".  Sure enough, they were Cheezel Holes, but DS is not 
> familiar
> with the related concept of Donut Holes, the picture wasn't really
> enlightening, and we can't recall reading any stories with "holes" in them
> recently.
>
> Two things surprise us.  The first is the size of his reading vocabulary.
> Back when I did Language Acquisition in Psychology, it was thought that 
> most
> of us have about a 50-word whole-word vocabulary.  DS must be getting 
> close to
> that now.  He can't, AFAICT, break a word into sounds yet -- he's reading 
> it
> as a unit, though he's aware of the word as a fixed letter sequence.  The
> second is for how long he must be remembering some words, like "holes" in 
> the
> anecdote above.
>
> DS also likes to put pen to paper and produce marks like running-writing. 
> We
> mere parents can't read it, of course, because DS is writing (he tells us) 
> in
> *German*.  He reads it back to us in gibberish.  We aren't 
> German-speakers,
> though DS has probably heard me mention this as one of Grandpa's 
> languages.
> AFAIK there are no German-speakers at daycare.
>
> I don't know that we need to change what we do with him, though 
> suggestions
> are welcome, but I'm just a bit staggered...
>
> -- 
> Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
> (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
>
> "In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
> nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
> Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893. 

> Big deal. I taught myself to read whhen I was between two and three years
> old.
Wow! That's fantastic!!
Pity you didn't teach yourself some manners.

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-6C2BA1.23020124042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> DS is 4y 2mo now.  We've known for a long time that he's bright, that he's
> good with language, and so on.  But it is still a bit confronting to see
your
> preschooler *reading*, when you know that you and your DH were not doing
it at
> that age!  Not every word he sees, no; but enough for us to know that he's
> reading words, not reciting from memory or working it out from context.
>
> Today at the supermarket, we decided to indulge, and picked out packets of
> chips for ourselves.  Thought DS had grabbed some Cheezels.  At the car,
he
> read "Holes".  Sure enough, they were Cheezel Holes, but DS is not
familiar
> with the related concept of Donut Holes, the picture wasn't really
> enlightening, and we can't recall reading any stories with "holes" in them
> recently.

Heh, clever kid :)


>
> DS also likes to put pen to paper and produce marks like running-writing.
We
> mere parents can't read it, of course, because DS is writing (he tells us)
in
> *German*.  He reads it back to us in gibberish.  We aren't
German-speakers,
> though DS has probably heard me mention this as one of Grandpa's
languages.
> AFAIK there are no German-speakers at daycare.

very cute!

"nerys" <nerys@mailinator.com> wrote in message
news:426bc46e_2@x-privat.org...
> Big deal. I taught myself to read whhen I was between two and three years
> old.
Great!
Such a shame  you didn't progress to learning to spell.

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-6C2BA1.23020124042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> DS is 4y 2mo now.  We've known for a long time that he's bright, that he's
> good with language, and so on.  But it is still a bit confronting to see
your
> preschooler *reading*, when you know that you and your DH were not doing
it at
> that age!  Not every word he sees, no; but enough for us to know that he's
> reading words, not reciting from memory or working it out from context.

Go DS!
A

In article <gs5o615o2uvmmdku9t28eahh54r9i3luad@4ax.com>,
 michelle <shellydoo@cwazy.co.uk> wrote:

> On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 23:02:01 +1000, Chookie
> <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote:
> 
> gifted children are now classified as children with special needs.

I think this has been a really helpful development -- we've started looking at 
what *all* children need to achieve their potential rather than a 
thinly-disguised, patronising "how to deal with the dumb kids" approach from 
Govt.  People who work in special needs have always been great, but the 
bureaucracy behind them hasn't always been what it should have been.  We're 
doing better now -- apart from the funding, of course, which just keeps 
getting worse.

-- 
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia 
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is 
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

In article <426ba144$0$79457$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>,
 "A s s i l e m" <nick_off@getreal.org> wrote:

> Um is your name Melissa and we've stepped back in time by ooohhhh 9 years??

Nice to know someone else who's BTDT!

> I would suggest you get in touch with your local MCH centre and take it from
> there. She should be able to give you links to the GIFTED childrens centres
> (or goggle them) but defaintely get hold of them.

Have to tell you this story then.  When DS was 2 I took him in to the child 
health centre for the appointment.  Mentioned that I thought he might be 
bright.  Well, what a look I got!  Plainly, I was one of those pushy Mums 
(goodness knows why; I live in Western Sydney, not the Eastern Suburbs) and 
she sort of ignored it.  Later on she asked, "So, is he saying about 20 words, 
then?" (which is typical of a 2yo).

"Um, no, over 120."

"Ohhhhh!"

<grins evilly at memory>

-- 
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia 
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is 
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

In article <ehrebeniuk-6C2BA1.23020124042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au>,
 Chookie <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote:

> DS is 4y 2mo now.  We've known for a long time that he's bright, that he's 
> good with language, and so on.  But it is still a bit confronting to see your 
> preschooler *reading*, when you know that you and your DH were not doing it 
> at that age!

As a postscript, DH says I have to tell you all what happened today.

DH and DS are pulling weeds.  The weeds are too much for DS, who trots inside, 
comes back out with his kiddy Bible and starts reading (we imagine with a fair 
bit of reciting) to himself.  After entertaining himself like this for a 
while, he says, "Daddy, I can't wead pwoperly!" and goes off to do something 
else!  Must have hit a couple of hard words that he couldn't remember/work out!

-- 
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia 
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is 
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-CB7D54.22540825042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
| In article <426ba144$0$79457$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>,
|  "A s s i l e m" <nick_off@getreal.org> wrote:
|
| > Um is your name Melissa and we've stepped back in time by ooohhhh 9
years??
|
| Nice to know someone else who's BTDT!
|
| > I would suggest you get in touch with your local MCH centre and take it
from
| > there. She should be able to give you links to the GIFTED childrens
centres
| > (or goggle them) but defaintely get hold of them.
|
| Have to tell you this story then.  When DS was 2 I took him in to the
child
| health centre for the appointment.  Mentioned that I thought he might be
| bright.  Well, what a look I got!  Plainly, I was one of those pushy Mums
| (goodness knows why; I live in Western Sydney, not the Eastern Suburbs)
and
| she sort of ignored it.  Later on she asked, "So, is he saying about 20
words,
| then?" (which is typical of a 2yo).
|
| "Um, no, over 120."
|
| "Ohhhhh!"
|
| <grins evilly at memory>


That is sooooo much like us. J was about 18 months old when we went to one
of those jigsaw parties, he pulled apart an alphabet and number puzzle and
the the demonstrator was having kittens over him when he was able to put it
back together on his own.

Another interesting fact about him too, J was about 7 months old and just
crawling. We had the telly on one night and he crawled right up close and
was watching the Keno draw....I changed channel....he BAWLED...I have never
seena  baby chuck a tanty but I reckon thats that it was...I put it back on
keno...silence...turned it off tanty. It was amazing, I put it down to the
colours but now I'm not so sure if it was the colours or the numbers (he has
a number thing).  He was fine if he watched the whole draw and it ended but
god help us if we changed the channel half way thru.

We've also got a photo here somewhere of him lying on the lounge room floor
with a newspaper, right way up and looking like he was reading...he was
about 12-15 months.

You look back now and it's like "what was he really doing? could he read
then? was he learning to read then? how muhc of that did he really know?"
very bizzarre!

We (I) used to read to him as a baby but I never "taught" him to read...

Melissa

|
| -- 
| Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
| (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
|
| "In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
| nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
| Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message 
news:ehrebeniuk-CB7D54.22540825042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> Have to tell you this story then.  When DS was 2 I took him in to the 
> child
> health centre for the appointment.  Mentioned that I thought he might be
> bright.  Well, what a look I got!  Plainly, I was one of those pushy Mums
> (goodness knows why; I live in Western Sydney, not the Eastern Suburbs) 
> and
> she sort of ignored it.  Later on she asked, "So, is he saying about 20 
> words,
> then?" (which is typical of a 2yo).
>
> "Um, no, over 120."
>
> "Ohhhhh!"
>
> <grins evilly at memory>

i'm lucky i have a lovely (private) baby nurse. she was so happy for us when 
she found that DS had hundreds of words at 2 like your DS. people do remark 
how clearly he talks. everyone can understand what he says, unlike most 
2.5yo. some think i'm pushy about it, but i'm certainly not. i do correct 
him *occasionally*, but he likes to get the word correct, so he appreciates 
it. i do like to teach him new words all the time. but i use alot of big 
words in my everyday speech. DH doesn't. the favourite at the moment is 
placenta. (he says "mummy, our bubba eats with the placenta). he even got me 
to draw a placenta on his blackboard. DH said "ewwww".
-- 
elizabeth (in australia)
DS 20th august 2002
#2 due 14th october 2005

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?" -- Milton 
Berle

"A s s i l e m" <nick_off@getreal.org> wrote in message 
news:426d6f98$0$79454$14726298@news.sunsite.dk...
>
> That is sooooo much like us. J was about 18 months old when we went to one
> of those jigsaw parties, he pulled apart an alphabet and number puzzle and
> the the demonstrator was having kittens over him when he was able to put 
> it
> back together on his own.

DS is like this with puzzles. he is 2.5yo & does 60 piece ones by himself. i 
have to sit with him (so he doesn't lose interest but i don't have to help.

we take 20pc thomas puzzles to aba meetings as it keeps him quiet for a bit. 
the older kids (4yo's) try to play too, but they don't even seem to 
understand to put the pieces the right way round or that they need to be 
matched. he get annoyed & says "no, this way!" & tries to show them. i don't 
like the look from other mums, though. it's like he is some kind of freak or 
something.

he is bright in many other areas, not just puzzles/numbers. i always wonder 
how he'll grow up.
-- 
elizabeth (in australia)
DS 20th august 2002
#2 due 14th october 2005

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?" -- Milton 
Berle

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message 
news:ehrebeniuk-6C2BA1.23020124042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> DS is 4y 2mo now.  We've known for a long time that he's bright, that he's
> good with language, and so on.  But it is still a bit confronting to see 
> your
> preschooler *reading*, when you know that you and your DH were not doing 
> it at
> that age!  Not every word he sees, no; but enough for us to know that he's
> reading words, not reciting from memory or working it out from context.
>
> Today at the supermarket, we decided to indulge, and picked out packets of
> chips for ourselves.  Thought DS had grabbed some Cheezels.  At the car, 
> he
> read "Holes".  Sure enough, they were Cheezel Holes, but DS is not 
> familiar
> with the related concept of Donut Holes, the picture wasn't really
> enlightening, and we can't recall reading any stories with "holes" in them
> recently.
>
> Two things surprise us.  The first is the size of his reading vocabulary.
> Back when I did Language Acquisition in Psychology, it was thought that 
> most
> of us have about a 50-word whole-word vocabulary.  DS must be getting 
> close to
> that now.  He can't, AFAICT, break a word into sounds yet -- he's reading 
> it
> as a unit, though he's aware of the word as a fixed letter sequence.  The
> second is for how long he must be remembering some words, like "holes" in 
> the
> anecdote above.
>
> DS also likes to put pen to paper and produce marks like running-writing. 
> We
> mere parents can't read it, of course, because DS is writing (he tells us) 
> in
> *German*.  He reads it back to us in gibberish.  We aren't 
> German-speakers,
> though DS has probably heard me mention this as one of Grandpa's 
> languages.
> AFAIK there are no German-speakers at daycare.
>
> I don't know that we need to change what we do with him, though 
> suggestions
> are welcome, but I'm just a bit staggered...

i don't really have any suggestions. all i can give is my experience. i was 
reading at 3 properly. but that was because my mother had taught me. i 
remember in kindy i was the only one who could read, so i got different 
lessons sometimes. and in year 1, i was with a teacher's aide or a helper 
parent when everyone else did reading and we sat in a different room. i 
don't being separated in year 2 but my reading was still way ahead.

In article <ehrebeniuk-CB7D54.22540825042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au>,
 Chookie <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote:

> In article <426ba144$0$79457$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>,
>  "A s s i l e m" <nick_off@getreal.org> wrote:
> 
> > Um is your name Melissa and we've stepped back in time by ooohhhh 9 years??
> 
> Nice to know someone else who's BTDT!
> 
> > I would suggest you get in touch with your local MCH centre and take it 
> > from
> > there. She should be able to give you links to the GIFTED childrens centres
> > (or goggle them) but defaintely get hold of them.
> 
> Have to tell you this story then.  When DS was 2 I took him in to the child 
> health centre for the appointment.  Mentioned that I thought he might be 
> bright.  Well, what a look I got!  Plainly, I was one of those pushy Mums 
> (goodness knows why; I live in Western Sydney, not the Eastern Suburbs) and 
> she sort of ignored it.  Later on she asked, "So, is he saying about 20 
> words, 
> then?" (which is typical of a 2yo).
> 
> "Um, no, over 120."
> 
> "Ohhhhh!"
> 
> <grins evilly at memory>


I just got to spend two days with my niece, who is 20 months.  Her big 
brother spoke SO early and SO well, that my sister has to be reminded 
that her daughter is definately on the high end of language acquisition.  
I couldn't count all her words, but just on a walk around the park we 
got grass, rocks, sky, bird, bridge, other bridge, moon, shadow, splash, 
water, flower .. add the names of everyone there, the fact that she can 
name the primary colors, some numbers (not accurate beyond two, but so 
what?) and you get over 20 without breaking a sweat.  Plus, her diction 
is VERY clear.

What I found most fascinating is that she doesn't use verbs hardly at 
all, but manages to talk in complete thoughts, anyway.  "Bridge rocks 
water splash" is a clear request (especially when accompanied by 
grabbing my shirt and pointing down the path to the bridge).  
Fortunately, *I* think throwing rocks off a bridge into the water is a 
good time, too -- and when you add time with a toddler, I was in heaven.
-- 
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care 

"A s s i l e m" <nick_off@getreal.org> wrote ...
>
>
> Another interesting fact about him too, J was about 7 months old and just
> crawling. We had the telly on one night and he crawled right up close and
> was watching the Keno draw....I changed channel....he BAWLED...I have 
> never
> seena  baby chuck a tanty but I reckon thats that it was...I put it back 
> on
> keno...silence...turned it off tanty. It was amazing, I put it down to the
> colours but now I'm not so sure if it was the colours or the numbers (he 
> has
> a number thing).  He was fine if he watched the whole draw and it ended 
> but
> god help us if we changed the channel half way thru.

heh.
My 1yr old's favourite 'show' is the Tattslotto draw and Powerball.

We're a bit mean, and block his view 'accidentally', and he will push us 
away, or crane around us.  I think it's hilarious.
If i'm reading him a story, I will simply stop and give up until the draw is 
over.


> We've also got a photo here somewhere of him lying on the lounge room 
> floor
> with a newspaper, right way up and looking like he was reading...he was
> about 12-15 months.

My son 'reads'.  I don't think he's gifted, but he enjoys turning pages of 
mags, books etc.
On Sunday, he was given a 'jigsaw puzzle' book ( from the ELC ), and he can 
put the right shapes in the right holes.
It's just him.  He doesn't talk ( much ) and is not walking unassisted.  He 
likes music & reading, has never cried, and is pretty self-sufficient.  I 
like to think he's like me :)

I like to think kids develop at their own rate ... although we do have a 
pretty special guy in our mother's group.  A lovely boy with a lovely mum 
( not posh/ not pushy ) ... but he's been WALKING since 7mo.  I kid you not.
*Nobody* compares their baby to this bub - he's way ahead of the class ;)

"arachne" <this_is_not_a@real.email.address> wrote...
>
> i'm lucky i have a lovely (private) baby nurse. she was so happy for us 
> when she found that DS had hundreds of words at 2 like your DS. people do 
> remark how clearly he talks. everyone can understand what he says, unlike 
> most 2.5yo. some think i'm pushy about it, but i'm certainly not. i do 
> correct him *occasionally*, but he likes to get the word correct, so he 
> appreciates it. i do like to teach him new words all the time. but i use 
> alot of big words in my everyday speech. DH doesn't. the favourite at the 
> moment is placenta. (he says "mummy, our bubba eats with the placenta). he 
> even got me to draw a placenta on his blackboard. DH said "ewwww".

ha !

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-043A0C.23021825042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> In article <ehrebeniuk-6C2BA1.23020124042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au>,
>  Chookie <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote:

> As a postscript, DH says I have to tell you all what happened today.
>
> DH and DS are pulling weeds.  The weeds are too much for DS, who trots
inside,
> comes back out with his kiddy Bible and starts reading (we imagine with a
fair
> bit of reciting) to himself.  After entertaining himself like this for a
> while, he says, "Daddy, I can't wead pwoperly!" and goes off to do
something
> else!  Must have hit a couple of hard words that he couldn't remember/work
out!

Heh, not a perfectionist as well...

"michelle" <shellydoo@cwazy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:0fnq6113f2k18efa2v8qs50ccgc09psr4m@4ax.com...

> i am off today, to try and get some help for Mitchell in the school
> yard...
>

How did this go?

"michelle" <shellydoo@cwazy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c7jt61dh3ma70e5btrl3pqeqi1iph2dt4v@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 07:31:55 +1000, "slowly" <slowly@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"michelle" <shellydoo@cwazy.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:0fnq6113f2k18efa2v8qs50ccgc09psr4m@4ax.com...
> >
> >> i am off today, to try and get some help for Mitchell in the school
> >> yard...
> >>
> >
> >How did this go?
> >
> really very good.
>
> I made some suggestions which they are really happy to do, they also
> suggested getting some uni students to come in at lunch time, to
> organise sports activities for the kids as a whole... they are going
> to offer Mitch some computer time in the classroom
>
> funding is not in the picture, the govt here in vic have reduced the
> criteria even further.. lol, its disgusting now...

I'm glad they're open to your suggestions. Sounds like it might be a good
idea to have organised activities too (not just for Mitch, but we're really
not active enough as a nation, in general).

In article <426d7e12$0$79465$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>,
 "arachne" <this_is_not_a@real.email.address> wrote:

> he is bright in many other areas, not just puzzles/numbers. i always wonder 
> how he'll grow up.

You'll find out at the rate of 60 minutes per hour :-)

I think it helps that there's more information and support out there than 
there used to be, but I'm sure we will come across the people who think we've 
sat down and taught/pressured them into being like that.  But then, parents of  
kids with other special needs get that too -- they get blamed for "not 
disciplining their kids" when there is bad behaviour arising from a medical 
condition, for example.

The way I see it, most of us have something to worry about wrt our kids, 
whether it's an enlarged ureter, or hole in the heart, or how the school will 
cope with a bright kid, or how to help two little adopted girls recover from 
previous abuse (and that's just the friends I saw IRL this week!).

-- 
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia 
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is 
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

In article <c7jt61dh3ma70e5btrl3pqeqi1iph2dt4v@4ax.com>,
 michelle <shellydoo@cwazy.co.uk> wrote:

> >How did this go?
> >
> really very good.
> 
> I made some suggestions which they are really happy to do, they also
> suggested getting some uni students to come in at lunch time, to
> organise sports activities for the kids as a whole... they are going
> to offer Mitch some computer time in the classroom 

Excellent!  Glad it was so positive.

> funding is not in the picture, the govt here in vic have reduced the
> criteria even further.. lol, its disgusting now... 

Happens a lot.  A friend of mine taught at a boys' high school that used to be 
classified as disadvantaged, so it got extra funding.  Then the bar got 
raised.  Because "only" 90% of the boys come from disadvantaged homes, they 
aren't *really* disadvantaged... that's 92%.

She had some amazing stories -- like the kid who wanted to go to jail when he 
grew up.  Every man in his extended family was there, you see -- it was just 
what men did.

-- 
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia 
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is 
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

"Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@foulspambegone.com.au> wrote in message 
news:ehrebeniuk-0E8203.21421027042005@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...

> She had some amazing stories -- like the kid who wanted to go to jail when 
> he
> grew up.  Every man in his extended family was there, you see -- it was 
> just
> what men did.

i just don't what to say to that. that's just so upsetting..
-- 
elizabeth (in australia)
DS 20th august 2002
#2 due 14th october 2005

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?" -- Milton 
Berle