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I’m the parent to a little girl, who turned 5 in November, and a little boy, who turned 3 in November. I refer to these two monkeys as Little Miss and The Boy. Okay, I know what you’re thinking, enough back story already. I completely agree my friends, so let me get to the crux of my issue: I’m hunting down the person who created a BOGUS holiday I’ve just started to experience this year, with my Kindergarten aged Little Miss. And I’m not looking to thank him, or her. I’m not hoping to give him a big hug, or a pat on the back. I’m looking for revenge.
Have you heard of this facocta holiday? It’s called The 100th Day of School. Who thought this was a good idea? Who created this ridiculous celebration? Does everyone celebrate this momentous occasion? I had never heard of the 100th Day of School “holiday” before this year, and I have to be honest with you, it isn’t something I fully embrace. I think it’s a load of poopla. And I, for one, can do with less poopla in my life. It’s why I potty trained the kids.
Anyway, Little Miss was sent home with a letter. It said on February 14th, we’ll be celebrating the 100th Day of School with a HUGE party. It’s our BIGGEST celebration of the year. It’s our 100th Day of School, which marks the half way point to the end of the school year. We’d like $5 from EACH family to purchase snacks, crafts and party supplies for this “big celebration”. Now this I was fine with, I’m use to the class asking for money at this point. But the next thing was what got me. It sent me RIGHT OVER THE EDGE.
This letter told my husband and I, we were to help our Little Miss collect 100 of “something” and create a craft out of it, so she could have it displayed at the party. WHAT? Are you insane? The only “rule” was the collection of 100 things could NOT be pennies. Why? They were too heavy. My husband and I looked at one another like this paper was TOXIC and needed to be burned immediately. However, Little Miss was BURSTING with excitement. It seems this big day has been talked up quite a bit in her class. HOORAY for us.
Honestly, is there nothing better to spend time doing? Collecting 100 of something and then having to figure out a craft? Seriously?
Does ANYONE know who thought this “100th day of school” garbage up, because I would really love to meet them, sit them down, smack them and be on my merry way. Let’s just say, it would be ONE HUNDRED SMACKS, because it wouldn’t be a celebration unless we had “a collection of 100″ things!
PS-My daughter decided she wanted to glue 100 glittery heart pieces onto a container, because it was also “Valentime’s Day” – no matter how many times I correct her, still says it wrong, so now I just smile and go with it. She’ll figure it out eventually. Everyone does, I suppose.
Side Note: I’m in SPRAY GLUE HELL, up to my ears in hearts and glitter, and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel on this one folks.
One more thing. It looks like this blessed event is celebrated up until second grade in our district. Yeah, you got it, I’m going to be knee deep in this for years to come. JOY.
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Last Day! 
Ha! Funny! I’m right there with ya. Did ya notice they took any and all mention/celebration of Christmas out but NOW we have day 100! Hrmm…
I know!!! At school, she had a Holiday Celebration. All the “songs” had to be winter related, not holiday related. Drives me nuts.
And our Halloween Parade, it wasn’t called that. It was a Fall Festival Parade.
AAAAHHHH!!!
HAHA, I find this post so funny. I’m an elementary school teacher, but in Ontario, Canada.
In our school, the 100th Day of School is only celebrated in the first grade. This is because the first grade curriculum is all about counting to 100, by 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s. So, using a daily tally chart to get to the 100th day and then celebrating it keeps a small math lesson going every morning during morning meeting or calendar time.
This year I teach grade two, but last year I taught grade one. We made the 100th day a big deal, but we didn’t throw a class party or ask parents for any money. We worked on a booklet all about the number 100, and I know some teachers ask the families to help their child bring a collection of 100 things. This activity seems like a pain the arse I get that, but the point is actually so that families practice counting to 100 with their child at home (linked to the curriculum). Again, this is why we only do it in the first grade… so it isn’t tedious and repetitive, it’s just a rite of passage for grade one, when counting to 100 is specific curriculum.
I think that’s a bit easier to handle? I don’t know what’s up with your school and the over-the-top nature of celebrating the 100th day…. sounds like insanity!!! Anyway, just try to use it as a teachable moment at home of counting to 100 in different ways with your child. Fortunately at my school they don’t expect a “craft” to display, the kids would just do things like count out 100 mini pom poms, or 100 grains of rice and stick them in empty plastic water bottles.
I am HOPING and WISHING that next year, it’s a lot more LOW KEY. The kids had a blast, it was, in the end, rather fun for all of us. However, it’s just chaos and I don’t think they learned much from it. Except that you can pop balloons with your backside. HAHA.
This is so funny to me too. I’m the room parent of a kindergartener. The teacher wants me to organize the snacks for the kids. I also figured $5.00 each parent. It should be enough to buy the platters at the supermarket. My daughter had to make a poster to. We did a gumball machine and she colored 100 little circles. I’m glad you wrote that. I thought I was the only one that felt that way.
Oh, the two of us are not alone, my friend! Many of us were not thrilled with the whole thing.
I wish I had thought of a gumball machine……that would have been so cool. Perhaps next year, or when my son hits Kindergarten in two years.
I’ll have to make a note of that one! I’m sure it will be an even bigger deal in two years, if he has the same teacher.
you should’ve bought that Honey “Smacks” cereal and glued on 100 pieces of it!
I doubt they would’ve got the message though.
HAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Wait, I may use that for my son’s 100 day when he hits Kindergarten. This is even better than the Gumball Machine one from above.
LOVE IT!!!
And no, the whole thing would be lost on them, but at least me and my husband would chuckle enough for all the world.
My kindergartner came home with an 11 x 17 piece of paper with a big 100 on it. We were instructed to find 100 anythings and glue them inside the 100, and we had a week to do it. Not too hard. That was it. We found 5 each of 20 items like: penne, collar stays, binder clips, cheerios, etc. That way we could count by 1′s, or by 5′s with our items on our poster.
When my high schooler was in kindergarten, they had to go to school dressed like a 100-yr-old person on this holiday. A bit harder. But, pretty dang funny.
The kids love having little things like this to look forward to, and to feel a sense of accomplishment at having made it halfway thru the year. Look at it thru their little 5-yr-old eyes…it makes them happy. Especially if you get excited about it too. When you reinforce the school’s curriculum and make it a priority, it shows your kid that school is important.
My daughter loves school. She could care less if it’s half way through the year, or if it’s the 2nd day of school. She loves learning, she looks forward to going every day. She would have preferred to just learn, instead of all the different projects that didn’t teach her anything.
Her teacher dressed up as a 100 year old woman, thankfully we did not have to do that. Especially since it would have taught her nothing.
MANY of the projects were OBVIOUSLY done by the parents, just to get it done. So those kids really learned nothing.
The better thing would have been to collect 20 of each of something, so they could learn how to count by 20s. I might suggest something like that when my son goes through the system…….thanks!!!
Too funny. Good thing my Kindergartner’s school does not celebrate this.
Yes, be thankful. Just a bunch of chaos. They learned nothing that day, then celebrated valentine’s day the other half of the day.
My tax dollars at work, but I guess kids do need a day of “fun” to break up all that learning!!!!
It was a nice day to just enjoy, plus we didn’t have homework to do that night. WAHOOOOO.
I don’t know when our school district started celebrating the 100th day of school, but it’s been that way since my girls entered kindergarten. They don’t have a party, but they have each made a craft. One daughter taped 100 playing cards to a poster board. The other opted for sticks of sugar-free gum.
This year, I thought they did a great thing with it. My oldest daughter is in 5th grade, so they had each child bring in 5 nonperishable food items for the local soup kitchen.
Now that I can get behind. 100 items to donate to a soup kitchen from the whole class. Every kid donates 5 things, or whatever.
EXCELLENT.
I like that one a LOT!
it goes so fast–thanks
I think teachers invented it b/c let’s face it they count down until school ends
last year we had to do this (at son’s old school) but only 100 things not make a craft, and yeah…I sent pennies…only got about 1/2 back LOL. I thought it was annoying when I had to send in 100 things. This year son only goes Monday, Wed, and every other Fri, so we aren’t stuck with this! I say move 