Brave New World...

This week's anecdotes all seem to be developing around a particular theme, and its name is: Responsibility. Every September Team WestEnders experiences the same phenomenon--let's call it our Annual Fall Frenzy (it sounds so festive that way, like a celebration featuring apple cider and pumpkin muffins...well, that's my fantasy for it, at least)--when the slow-paced, low-key Summer Vacation screeches to a jarring halt, and life kicks into high gear all at once. This can mainly be attributed to the 3-S Syndrome: School/Soccer/Semester, which means that the boys return to their academic gig; sports practices and games begin; and I recommence my Part-Time (paid, yay!) job at a local community college. Suffice it to say, things go from mellow to madhouse, overnight, as we all scramble to pack up our necessary "stuff" and get the heck where we're going (on time is a PLUS, reasonably well-organized is a BONUS, and fashionably outfitted? For that, I want a darn cookie! Or three!)

Riley's life has remained relatively unchanged with the transition to 3rd grade--he still gets Math and Reading homework every night, both of which are completely manageable and fairly low-stress (so far). Derek, of course, now has 7 classes, each with a different teacher, any or all of whom could potentially assign homework on a given night. Goodbye, comfortable, nurturing Elementary School...Hello, rigorous, challenging Middle School! Suddenly he's expected to independently record his assignments in his planner book, gather the required materials, complete the tasks at home in the evening (sometimes this might have to occur at the soccer field--that should be amusing) and bring them back to school for grading the next day. So yes, it's quite a big deal...but I (and others of a similar age, I suspect) used to work through all of this without the fancy planner book, with no one looking over my shoulder to see if I had finished it, and no repercussions if I chose to slack off...that is, until the dreaded Interim Report time, when formerly-clueless parents could abruptly receive the unwelcome knowledge that their little darling was failing a subject. (Note: this never happened to me! Or I might not be sitting here telling this story!)

But now, in the wondrous Computer Age, there's (duh duh duh DAH) EDLINE! What is this newfangled technology, you ask? Well, I'll tell you: only a nosy, micro-managing--I mean caring, concerned, supportive--Parent's Best Friend! You see, parents and students both can log in to Edline to view up-to-the-minute reports on grades, assignments, and tests for each and every class in one spot. In practice, this means that every day, if I wish, I can check Derek's page and examine data such as updated quiz scores, homework that was turned in and recorded, an actual percentage that indicates his overall class grade for each subject, and any missing pieces that he still needs to submit for credit to be awarded. WOW...I love this thing! Why, just yesterday I received an email informing me that there were "new reports to view", so I clicked over to get the scoop. Everything appeared to be in order...except one puzzling grade that showed up in Math: "E". What the heck does that even mean? "Extra-bad-but-not-quite-Failing"? "Expected-tomorrow-or-Else"? Even Derek himself was unable to enlighten me, as he professed to have no earthly idea what that mysterious E was trying to tell us. However, thanks to Edline, he can go to school today and find out. And if it's a worksheet he didn't pick up, or forgot to do, he can remedy the situation and keep it from negatively affecting his average for the quarter. Have I mentioned how cool I think this is?

So there you have it, a new opportunity to practice responsibility...tempered by Mom Accountability. That's the Official Line, anyway, the one I'm planning to feed Derek. The true story? "I've got my eye on you! There is no escape! Mwah hah hah!!!" Ahem. I think I'm going to really enjoy my role as an all-seeing, all-knowing Super Mom...and I promise to use my powers only (okay, mostly) for good!