Swimming as a National Curriculum Requirement

I went with Michael's class to the swimming pool today.  I thought it was quite an upheaval to have all Year 3 and 4 children take swim lessons for two weeks.  It turns out that it is a requirement of the National Curriculum that all school children learn to swim by age 11.  I found this information on the Department of Education website (http://www.education.gov.uk/):

"By the end of Key Stage 2 (age 11), pupils should be taught to swim unaided for a distance of at least 25 metres, using recognised strokes, on their front and back, and demonstrate an understanding of water safety). It is up to primary schools to decide when, and at what point they wish to teach this... Within the law, parents do not have a right to withdraw their children from this statutory element of the National Curriculum."

I find the phrasing "do not have a right" very different from what I'd see in the US.  The role of government is quite different-- greater trust that decisions are being made for the greater good.

At the pool, the swim instructors were all young, dedicated and looked like they walked out of an Abercrombie and Fitch ad.  Uncanny.  It was nice for me to see Michael's swimming take shape.  He is in the middle group (blue team) of kids who can swim short distances without an aid.

On our way back, Michael and I sat together on the top deck of the bus.  You can see so much from up high.  The River Dee was sparkling and quite breathtaking, especially as the backdrop to the occasional farm or church (or even Church Farm, which we passed).

Writing Notes to Teachers in England

When I send notes to teachers here, I use a lot more words than I would in the US.  For example, "Can I..." is "May I please trouble you to kindly..."  Or, "Thank you" is  sometimes as long as "Thank you.  I do very much appreciate your consideration."  The note is always placed in a sealed envelop for that extra level of formality.  In State College, I would occasionally send a note in with Michael for his teacher, usually more to the point, perhaps even on a Post-it note.  That would not seem appropriate here.

Recent example

Also, in the US, the teachers and principal can all be readily contacted via email.  That is unheard of here.  I get it though.  The US is about flatter hierarchies, feedback, expressing oneself, communicating one's needs.  The traditions here are just different.

Michael's Spelling(s) List

Michael's class is studying Egypt this term, so he came back with this spelling(s) list.  (Here, it's "spellings" and "maths", and for some reason, "sport").  He had to memorize these words for a spelling test.  Seems kind of advanced for 8 year olds?  

"Dinner Ladies"

"Eating, like learning, must be conducted in an orderly atmosphere, and since the school is charged with training in table behaviour as part of its socialising role, the 'dinner ladies' are a part of the authority-structure of the school."  (English Primary Education, p. 183)

I've had lunch a handful of times at Easterly Parkway (Michael's US school).  The scenes in the cafeteria are familiar to me-- groups of kids sit together at long tables, eating lunch either off trays or out of a lunch box or bag while chatting away with their friends.  Given the number of kids in the room, suffice it to say, it's loud.  Kids huddle or shout to hear each other.  Unlike what I recall of my elementary school, the kids sit with their classes at lunch.  The paraprofessional for their class wanders around to make sure everyone is settled.  It seems a somewhat boisterous atmosphere with kids being kids.  Anyone who finishes their lunch early can read a book or write or draw in a notebook.  One day when I visited, a teacher brought in green swirled bread for all the kids in the class to try, creating a nice feeling of community, I thought.  (It was delicious, by the way.)

At St. Peter's, the set up of the lunchroom is pretty similar-- long tables, kids with trays and lunch boxes.  Like my elementary school, they sit where they'd like.  Parents are not present at lunch, so I haven't had a chance to observe it first hand.  My knowledge is based on the reports of Michael and Anna who say that lunch is quieter at St. Peter's.  In fact, Michael one day told me, "My school in America is loud and my school in England is quiet."  (My variation on this quote is, "In England, school children are quiet and teachers are loud; In America, teachers are quiet and school children are loud.")  Both kids have been under the impression that talking is "not allowed" at lunch, but I imagine it is probably not encouraged as it might be in the US.

Maintaining lunch time decorum and finishing up one's lunch (another general requirement) is enforced by the school's "dinner ladies".  I came across this description on a teacher's network website:

"Midday supervisors are the lynchpins of an army of support staff that patrols school playgrounds and cafeterias to ensure pupils are fed, appropriate behaviour promoted and order prevails. The change of name from ‘dinner lady’ to’ lunchtime or midday supervisor’ signifies a new recognition for this role: schools are keen to maintain consistent standards of pupil behaviour at break times." (TES Connect, http://www.tes.co.uk/)

I like the descriptors of an army that patrols, with the focus not only on eating but also consistent standards of orderly behavior.

It dawned on me that the cafeteria is a microcosm of the culture at large.  At Easterly Parkway, lunch time reinforces American values--openness, freedom of expression, independence, making your own decisions.  Lunch time is viewed as a break in the day; the kids can be kids.  At St. Peter's, lunch time is not break time as much as an extension of the school day and of learning.  The children must continue being mannerly, orderly, rule abiding, trusting of authority.  Break time is not about breaking free and being a "kid" like at Easterly, it is about keeping calm and carrying on.  Lunch is formal rather than casual, orderly rather than "free".

Having heard Michael and Anna refer to dinner ladies' "shouting" and "telling off" pupils, I asked some mums about dinner ladies.  This question usually brings about a slight shudder.  Apparently, dinner ladies have induced fear in school children over the past several decades.  A couple mums said that the dinner ladies at St. Peter's seem mild compared with their childhood experiences.  It was widely enforced that you eat your food, you clean up after yourself, you remember your manners, you are orderly and not disruptive.  At least at St. Peter's, you can earn a sticker from the dinner lady.

Dinner ladies inspect lunch boxes to check that children have made a decent attempt to finish their food.  This, coupled with the school's policy about healthy lunches means that Anna doesn't want us to put chocolate or crisps in her lunch box.  I doubt the dinner ladies would comment on an unhealthy item, but the desire to not find out is motivation enough.  Even on her birthday, she said "no, thank you" to a little cupcake.  I learned at the "Coffee & Chat with Mr. Penn" that schools on the Wirral have lunch box audits from time to time, and St. Peter's was #1in health last time.

The Day the Triscuits Arrived

This is what I call happiness.

We got a surprise package that made our day.  We had run out of Triscuits almost 2 weeks ago.  I didn't have the heart (or nerve) to tell Michael so I tried to hide that fact by plying him with other lunch box treats and after school snacks.  ("You'd like a whole Bounty bar today?  Why stop at 1 when you could have THREE?")  Sadly, Michael found out the other day when I let it slip at the school gates.  I told him we had to stay strong and hold out until my parents came from California.  Thank you, Auntie G!

New School Uniforms

Though summer term started a week ago, the weather meant a slight delay in wearing summer uniforms.  I like the tidy but casual look of the polo shirt and gingham dress.

Last day of winter uniform

First day of summer uniform

Michael in the full summer uniform--polo shirt tucked in, jumper and gray shorts (worn rain or shine)

Target vs. The Village Shop

"It's like going to a restaurant vs. having dinner at a friend's house.  The restaurant is Target and the friend's house is The Village Shop."

John and I were having a conversation the other day about how much we love The Village Shop.  In addition to the Friday afternoon sweet stop for Anna, I'm always running over there to buy just one birthday card or one strip of tissue paper or a glue stick.  In the mornings, we often pop in to get a newspaper and milk.  They have the best coconut cake (our friend Tim would agree).

Recently, I went in to buy some large mailing envelopes and packaging tape.   I found the envelopes right away, but couldn't find the packaging tape.  I asked the lady at the counter and she rummaged around on the shelf and found them behind some index cards and glitter glue.  She joked, "You mean you couldn't find them?"  I just love the slight chaos of inventory.  I then asked the shopkeeper if they sell liquid hand soap.  She replied that they could be in the "chemists' section" (chemist=drug store) of the store, and then walked over to a small corner on a shelf above the greeting cards.  There were random items like shaving foam and a bottle or two of shampoo but no soap.  I didn't mind; it was like a treasure hunt.

When the shopkeeper rang me up, I noticed that I didn't have enough cash (and they don't take cards).  The shopkeeper said, "I see you here all the time, you just pay me when you next come in."

This got me thinking about how I love shopping at the Village Shop here at Target in the US but they seem like night and day.  Target is big, bright, clean, laid out logically and with lots of inventory clearly marked and constantly replenished.  It is a fast, fun, fresh and fashionable shopping experience--the classic example of successful integrated marketing that I often haul out in my marketing classes.  Everything, literally, is strategic and carefully done by design.  Shoppers are made to feel like "guests" and the employees are "team members".  You never see palates of inventory in the aisles; the shelves are completely wiped down replaced every time new inventory comes in.  Shoppers are well served and never wait in a long line.  Products are value priced but fashionable.  It is like a restaurant--polished, refined, there to provide a well-catered experience.

Can you buy coffee in the Village Shop?
Who knows?

The Village Shop is small, cozy, and a little cluttered.  It feels very traditional and old-fashioned.  It is like walking into a house.  It looks like a house.  A little bell jingles when you enter; the person at the counter may say a cheery hello.  The newspapers and magazines are about as trendy as one gets; they don't even take credit or debit cards.  A lot of the inventory seems to move slowly; it may get shoved behind other items and there may be only one or two (or 20) of what you're looking for.  Some of the layout is methodical and some of it isn't.  Signs are simple, some are written by hand.  You might be offered a sample of food, not necessarily to push specific inventory but as a friendly gesture.  There might be a queue but you are welcome to leave money in a box or wait.

Like Target, the Village Shop is a fun place to shop.  Shopping is a treasure hunt.  You never know what you'll find.  Target is a treasure hunt, but a methodically laid out one.  Someone has planned the treasure hunt for you. You can love them both and thoroughly enjoy them both, but you get a different experience.  When I taught intro MBA marketing, we talked about how companies can be good at operational efficiency (e.g., Target), customer intimacy (e.g., The Village Shop) and product innovation (e.g., Apple) and that one isn't necessarily better than the other, but you should focus on one without ignoring the others.  These seem like prototypical examples, all creating customer loyalty and satisfaction, but also delight.