We are gearing up for our fundraiser in a few weeks for our MOD team. We formed team popcorn this year since Scott's nickname was Baby Popcorn while I was pregnant. The nickname was given to him by his brother and it caught on and was used by everyone. ( we didn't share the name of our babies till they were born then we didn't get everyone's opinion) So we are selling gourmet popcorn in February. We are quite excited and had the fun of taste testing popcorn in the fall from different companies to find out which one was the best. What we really like about the company we chose besides their yummy popcorn is that they take a portion of their proceeds from fundraisers and donate it towards SIDS Research since that is something that affected their family. So I feel like when people buy a bag of popcorn they are supporting two causes and both having to do with helping babies!
As we finalize this fundraiser I am getting a little nervous at what are we getting ourselves into...the thought of having to sort boxes of popcorn ( I'm thinking positive sales) and then make sure they are all handed out to the correct people. But we have a plan that I think will work. We are asking friends/family to take an order form and sell popcorn to friends/coworkers and then I can just give them the box of orders they sale to hand out. I know it will be some work but I think it will be a fun fundraiser which people will be interested in and buy. So we'll see. I am very fortunate that my SIL has become my partner and as already done so much for our team including designing a website for Team Popcorn, designing t-shirts, and she held a Pampered Chef fundraiser in November for people to buy holiday presents. Which we raised $150.
So I am getting excited about all the fun things we have planned for our team. I love having this special way to remember my Scott.
On another note I was looking around online and found that there is something called redshirting that parents are doing now. Apparently they are choosing to hold their child back a year from KIndergarten to give them an academic advantage. Ummm....it's Kindergarten, it's elementary school... The trend is mostly happening with boys with summer birthdays since they tend not to mature as quickly as girls. But reading more on it educators are saying that by 8th grade it all levels out. They are also saying that there can be disadvantages like if your child did need some special services you are now delaying them another year and that some kids just need the higher expectations of Kindergarten to show themselves academically and socially. I sometimes wonder about our society...what happened to just sending your child to Kindergarten and telling them to do their best? Why do we have to put so much pressure on kids now? Let them be kids and enjoy the fun of it before becoming an adult and having life throw curve balls at you.
After reading this and hearing that there are some other moms at C's school who are thinking about holding their children back who have summer birthdays I wonder if I"m not the only one who had the conference with the teacher about delaying Kindergarten. I am also wondering if they are doing this to keep the school in good standing and keep their accredition...I hope I'm wrong but I can't help but wonder.
Popcorn!! Love it and it's my favorite snack too! Good luck with the fundraiser. My son's birthday fell in September just 2 weeks after the cut off, I was furious that he didn't go to school that year. He is now I college. I later realized that it was to his advantage. He was the oldest of his peers and that brought some maturity that the others didn't have. As I watched his friends struggle with graduation, and he still had another year, I realized it was the right plan of action. I don't think that holding them back is a bad thing. But to hold them back just so the school would do better, is wrong. If you in your heart feel that C would benefit from not going then I think you should hold C back.
I do believe there are good reasons to hold a child back and if C was a Sept birthday I would consider it. It's when parents do it for the wrong reasons that makes me question it especially when there is even a term for it. I believe in my heart that he is ready for Kindergarten and if he does have struggles that he will get the help he needs since we live in an excellent school district.
and Popcorn really is a great snack!
Hope everyone is having a nicer weather were they're at than we are here in Md!
Oh I love the name popcorn, how cute! And I love popcorn. :) Good luck with the fundraiser, it's great that your sister is helping out and taking leadership in the team!
I agree that we shouldn't hold kids back due to the school district's desires. And actually, if the kiddo is in PreK at age 5, or still at home at age 5, he would still qualify for home based services from the school. Teachers and therapists would actually come to the home and work with him or her.
But for many kids, "redshirting" works well. My brother's birthday is July 31, and my parents sent him to KG right on time at age 5. He is very smart, but now at age 21 they have always wondered if they should have held him back just for the maturity level. He tended to always hang out with kids one or two grades lower than his, and even though he was smart, he was almost a year younger than many of his classmates. Which makes a difference when you're 5-10 years old. It's just a thought. ;) You are definitely a great and thoughtful mama. I don't think that any school district should pressure parents, that's for sure!
Easton was born on August 20, due on Sept 20, so we'll see what we decide in 4 years when his KG year rolls around. Well, first we have to make it that far, lol!
Huge hugs,
Leigh
Love reading your story about that sweet Baby Popcorn and how the name is inspiring your fundraiser efforts! Popcorn IS a great snack - I mean, who doesn't like popcorn?! I wish you much success :)
I agree that there's a lot of pressure put on kiddos these days. Things certainly are very different now than they were years ago. It's interesting to see how it all plays out. We can only hope that parents and schools make the decision that is best for their child and family...though sadly, I'm sure it doesn't always happen that way.
Hugs,
Libby
I love the popcorn fundraiser! It sounds like an awesome idea plus its a really great way to pay tribute to Scott. As for the kindergarten thing I personally think it would be better to send them and then if they are not ready to move on hold them back another year. This way they would get an extra year of instruction which would provide more of an advantage plus get any needed services a year earlier. I too wonder what kind of society we are living in sometimes. My kids only job right now is school. It comes first above all else but I also try not to put so much pressure on my children that they crack like an egg.
Jami
The popcorn fundraiser sounds really fun and so sweet of a nickname:) Do have fun sampling all of the different favors. Yum! You bring up a very hot topic of red shirting. I hope schools aren't pressuring parents to hold kiddos back for test scores and good standing. Don't feel pressured if that's the case.
"School" has become a touchy word at my house. Now before it all sort of went to pot for us, let me explain what we did. D's b-day is in Nov. way past the cut off in our State. He was a preemie with a due date in mid-January. We found a charter school that would take kiddos who were 4.5 years old and put them on like a probationary period. It was full-day Kinder. We felt that he was ready and his teacher did too. He will always be the youngest in his class, but he was able to keep up with his older classmates. T was also a preemie turning 5 just 3 days before Kinder started. We felt that he was also ready academically, but not socially and that was due to his diagnosis. We thought about this one for awhile, to hold him back or send him. We decided to send him and even though it was a very long school year, we are happy that we did! That was also full-day Kinder. We went to half-day the last 6 weeks of school to get him through. It didn't make sense to send him to teachers who were not trained on how to teach/reach students on the Spectrum.
Now, if you're reading my blog, you'd know that both boys are currently learning at home with online programs. We were able to take the special education funds away from our District and use them at our discretion for his learning and extra therapies:) It is awesome! Our older son attended public school for 1st, 2nd, and part of 3rd grade, but is doing an online program for Spring semester. D will most likely go to another charter school next Fall. We're still looking for the more ideal campus.
You know your child the best. Whatever you decide will work:)
Lindsay
I just found out that National Popcorn Day is Jan. 21st! I saw that and thought of you right away:)
Love the popcorn fundraiser idea -- a very fitting tribute. i wish your team much success this year.
Holding kids back just to hold them back for school? How things have changed. I wouldn't deliberately hold my kids back unless there was something that required special services or attention prior to them being in a school environment. My youngest, Kelsey (who's only two now) will be nearly 6 when she starts kinder -- because her b'day is Sept. 17. And that's fine -- because she'll have an opportunity to learn and do more, and perhaps be a little more mature than her peers -- as Tracey described for her son.
erin
Good luck with your fundraiser! It sounds great and so appropriate for your team!
On red shirting...there are definitley right and wrong reasons to hold a kid back. In my area people are holding small boys back for sports reasons...seriously. In my district it actually works against you to hold your kid back if they have special needs because you have to bring them to the Kindergarten center for therapies, so they miss academic time being shuttled back and forth.
With Hunter, a preemie born in August, due in November (our cutoff is December), we briefly considered it but ultimately decided to send him to kindergarten and see where things were at the end the year. If he wasn't ready to move on, he could repeat Kindergarten. Midway through the year he's really doing great in Kindergarten, still getting therapies and thriving.
I'm sure you will make the right decision for C. It's disappointing that the school is pushing red shirting for the wrong reasons.
Marissa