This evening we attended the school open house. At the entrance of the school building, there were announcement papers of each class of each grade, the names of the teachers and the students, and the classroom building information.
My daughter will be the third grader in this school year. The third graders have two classes. One is for third graders only, and the other class is the combine class of the second graders and the third graders.
As I have written in my previous article, the school has incorporated this workaround of the combined class since the previous school year.
In the previous year, the combined class consisted of 10 first graders and 15 second graders. This year though, the combined class consisted of 5 second graders and 25 third graders. There is other class of second graders only, which consists of 25 second graders.
In my personal opinion, the school should squeeze the 5 second graders into the second graders only class. That being said, I don’t know the school rule. Maybe the maximum student number of one class cannot be over 25 students.
According to the teacher, the 5 second graders in the combined class will study with the third graders. The school selected the 5 students who will be able to catch up with one year older students. They will keep proceeding with one year older students. Therefore, they are academically talented students who already have skipped grade at their very young age.
I personally envied them. I think it cool that they can proceed one year ahead of their same aged students.
My personal opinion does not apply to all the people. I heard some parents would like their children proceed with the normal speed, rather than skipping grade.
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I am surprised at the layout of the classroom. In Japan, we have a big blackboard in front of the classroom. All the students face toward the blackboard in one way.
On the other hand, in this school, the classroom is spacious. There are some small round tables in one area. Three or four students can sit in each table. In other area, there is a carpet where students can sit on the room ground. There is also other area where equipped with a huge couch, where students can sit and relax. There are three white boards on the different three walls. Based on the activity, students will move the area. There is no assigned seat. Students share seat, table, and space to sit.
I never attended the actual class in America. So, there are still lots of mysteries about American school system.
♬ Any feedback? (^^♪
three wisdom 