Skip to main content

BTSN

No it is not a new Hindi film name abbreviation. It is the subject line of an email our daughter's school sent.  To us.  The parents.

Back to school night.  BTSN.  I stopped going to school a while back as the readers may be aware. .which to sidetrack a bit was 25 years ago based on another mail sent by some enthusiastic alumni wanting to get together. .wonder what that is all about.

But I digress as I'm wont to do in my blog.
.it's my blog so anything goes.

Back to the child's school urging parents to visit with her teachers and see what the offspring might be doing this year on campus.


This is a ritual the American k to 12 school districts engage in across the country and it's purpose is two fold.  Allow parents to confirm that said teachers are actually aware of who your child is and what they should look forward to in the upcoming year.   The other critical goal for district is to again ask for money.  They are labeled donations that apparently overcome the gap in federal funds for school and the level of programs and quality of education needed to churn productive citizens.

It - the event - is organized on a workday after the workday is over to allow the multitudes of commuter parents to make it to the gathering.

Of course the result is a traffic jam that makes the morning rush look like child's play.  Speaking of which the children in 12th grade aka seniors in high school are indeed found playing with their new found automotive freedom during rush hour ..being partly contributory to event.

The parents wander their child's 'day in the life' at school visiting for 10 min with each teacher.  Some teachers use that time wisely to tell you who they are and how they plan to enrich your child.

Some are clueless as to the whole exercise and read a slide show word for word.

Regardless it was a good intro for us and we walked back home..picked a house that requires no driving. .did one thing right!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk  My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...

A few good books

 On an informal mission to read one book a week as long as the eyes allow for such ambition. Fiction or non is not important as long as it entertains and /or educates. To that end the past few weeks have brought a bounty in the form of some wonderful and then not so engaging literature. Among the notables are - Non fiction category: 1. Good arguments by Bo Seo (how to handle a dispute or debate the most efficient way possible) 2. Genesis by Eric Schmidt (and former US Secy of State Henry Kissinger, who recently passed) - how AI might affect our lives as we know it 3. One in a billion - Zarna Garg (an autobiographical look at an Indian born American woman with a bindi narrated in a standup format - yes it is at times cliched but still funny) Fiction: 1. Personal by Lee Child (a vigilante story with Jack Reacher the giant, nomad protagonist of Child's novels goes hunting for a sniper) 2. Ramayana unraveled by Ami Ganatra (she might disagree about it being a work of fiction but oh wel...

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...