Home/School Diaries are they common?

[WyrdMother]

Does your DC's school have them? Are they used consistently?

There's been bugger all written in ours since their inception 18 months ago so we gave up writing in it. All of a sudden HT is teaching DC and we are getting chiding notes about:

1. DC having a Monday and Tuesday off sick (she had a migraine and puked the Sunday night, school rules meant she had to stay off 48hrs, he knew this because I spoke directly to him when we rang in on the Monday am).
2. DC not writing her homework down in the diary (they were not required to do this before).
3. DC writing her homework in the wrong place in the diary (fair enough).
4. Us failing to sign the diary (as previously mentioned we'd stopped reading the damn thing because there was never anything in it).

I have written a polite note in response to the last comment, but are they a common thing?

My children had them in secondary not primary

In my school they are used if there a re issues with the child that the parents and school need to be in daily contact about eg behaviour or special needs etc

in junior school they are more of a homework reminder. I never sign or read it as my sons tell me what they have to do

Why is the Head teaching the class?

Actually, what I really want to know is are they a normal vehicle for teachers to nag remind children and parents about things?

I'm amazed she's got time to write all that

cybbo The main Teacher came back part-time after maternity leave, the HT is doing the day that the diary gets it's official weekly signature.

To be fair, "all of a sudden" makes it sound as if it's all happened in one day, it's been over the last three weeks, nothing for 18 months then hello notes.

I would ignore it IIWY

Or arrange a meeting as there's obvioulsl a serious problem if she needs to keep communicating with you this regularly (call her bluff in other words)

Never had them at primary, but forced at secondary, tutor checked everyone's once a week min, and had to be signed by parents once a week too.

our primary introduced them in september, they ised them for about 3 weeks and they have barely been touched since

but the teacher still signs it every week????

Right, thank you. As you've probably guessed I want to have a civil word with the HT about changing the goal posts without warning which will obviously turn into a request for a meeting if he reveals that this is just the tip of the behavioural iceberg! It's helpful to know that School/Home diaries are not universal in Primary Schools.

workshy They do, but last years teacher never wrote comments in it, just signed once a week. I wrote about four notes but always backed them up verbally because the first one wasn't read (wasn't signed by the TA and the thing we wrote about was still a mystery to the teacher so obviously the message didn't get through).

The school is always being nagged by the parents about poor communication, this was supposed to be the answer.

My dc's Junior School introduced them this year (or was it last ? ) but, after the first couple of weeks when the novelty wore off, it's just been another thing for her to lug back and forth each day. Seriously, I'd like to think that my dcs teachers have better things to do with their time than read and write in 30 diaries each week - or I guess day, for them to know if you've asked something (?).
Are great for non-verbal children, but not your NT Junior aged child.

"...it's just been another thing for her to lug back and forth each day."

Exactly, getting dog eared and grubby.

We have diaries at my DC's school.

DS's (Y2) just comes home once a week for with his weekend homework written in. We're expected to sign it and write any comments about how easy/difficult they found the homework.

DD's (Y5) comes home every day. At the beginnging of the week she writes down the homework that she'll have all week, then writes the extras in as she gets it. I also note down her music lessons & orchestra practice so that she know which instrument to take on which day. Again we're expected to sign it.

They're obviously checked as sometimes they have comments/stickers in and have been signed every week.

DS's junior school uses them. I am wondering how his will survive anothter term as its got very knocked about from going to and fro every day and I have already reinforced it as best I can.

He writes down what homework he has every week and also the results of his weekly spelling and mental maths tests so I do look regularly. Don't think I've ever had a specific comment from the teacher though she signs it every week. Oh, and we have to write in when he has read aloud to us (required to do this at least 3 times a week or he loses golden time).

In theory the parent/teachers comments page is useful because most parents drop and run (so rarely see the teacher), however I think I've only left a comment once (which was to point out we'd already paid for the school trip that they were chasing payment for).

DS1 has had one from Y3 onwards. Has to write down any H/W but also useful for notes to the teacher etc if there are issues. It also doubles as a reading record.

One tip - I always note down the date I send back forms / permission slips etc in the diary. So when the chase a week later I can say "handed in on the 9th, please see diary note of that date!"

my ds (y3) has one and we got to write in it every day to say whether child has read or completed homework etc and we sign once a week. Always had them in school and it is essential to get signed at least once a week. Other son y7 diary much bigger and they put in their homework every day and we have to sign it once a week usually over the weekend or the child gets detention and it is very strict. Very hard to remember to sign sometimes and child gets very axious

We have a homework diary that can be used for this. It sort of works, but falls down if either you or the teacher/TA doesn't look at it daily (which happens a lot, as they don't have homework every day).

If there's something important, I'd probably email (all the teachers have email addresses on the school site) or if it's very important I'd pop in at drop off or pick up (don't do that for small stuff though).

Seems that they're used a lot in some cases with more effect.

I spoke to HT today, explained why we haven't been signing/paying a blind bit of attention to the thing, all perfectly civil. He seemed surprised that there were no comments from teachers but that's up to him to sort out. I will sign it in future for the sake of harmony.