Letters home from school

[GB]

When did it become socially acceptable for a couple of mistakes to be okay?

When we realized that it was written by a human and that humans make mistakes.No one can be perfect 100% of the time and it expect that is unreasonable.

I think a letter home from the head of a school should be as error free as possible and should have been proofread and checked before it went out. If I got a letter though and it was missing a comma I would not freak out or anything. People make mistakes, period.

 

[elaine l]

In my case it is not an isolated incident. It happens quite often and it isn't one missing comma. We wonder what parents think. I, too, make many mistakes (did I say that?)

 

[GB]

In that case I agree it is not acceptable Elaine. My comment was directed solely at Vera who was asking when a couple of mistakes became acceptable.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Well, he stepped up and took responsibility. I went with a polite email and he replied. Fact was, this was his first communication as the new principal, ergo his first impression to the parents of the school. Not a stellar first impression for an academic leader. But he did apologize and I'll leave it at that. It was handled, he replied, and we move on. I'm sure the next letter home will be written correctly.

 

[DawnT]

Well done Callisto, well done!!

 

[VeraBlue]

When we realized that it was written by a human and that humans make mistakes.No one can be perfect 100% of the time and it expect that is unreasonable.

I think a letter home from the head of a school should be as error free as possible and should have been proofread and checked before it went out. If I got a letter though and it was missing a comma I would not freak out or anything. People make mistakes, period.

You are trivializing my point. I'm not referring to the omission of a comma; and I don't believe the letter in question was simply missing a comma. Although, we were all taught how to correctly place commas in sentences. I'm referring to grammatically incorrect sentences, misspelled words, inappropriate participles, run on sentences.

Sending any communication without benefit of spell check or proofreading shows the sender is not overly concerned with how he presents himself. It also demonstrates that he is little disturbed by the fact that he thinks little enough of the recipient.

How we dress, how we conduct ourselves in public, how we converse, and even how we write are windows. Must a suit be one thousand dollars? No, but it should be neat and tidy. Is is imperative to know which fork to use for the seafood course? If you are planning to dine at a seafood restaurant, it is. Should we endeavour to speak clearly and concisely? Whyever would anyone ever consider otherwise?

Conversely, a letter delivered with errors is of little consequence, at the end of the day. However, it's the decided nature of society that one letter, one conversation, one meal in the presence of a boor is 'no big thing'. It's the adding and continued adding on of more improprieties that disturbs me. I reject that it's okay to have a couple of errors. If I permit it, then I'm demonstrating that I really don't deserve the very best that someone has to offer. If I continue to permit it, than I only serve to add to the situation.

 

[GB]

I do not think I am trivializing your point at all. You asked when it became socially acceptable for a couple of mistakes to be okay. A couple, in my book, is two. I was simply responding to your statement.

None of us know (with the exception of Callisto in NC) the extent of the mistakes made. We can assume from her post that they were more than a couple. In that case, as I have mentioned, I find it unacceptable. But when you ask a specific question as you did then I will answer that question and not one that I think maybe possibly you meant to ask instead. You asked about a couple and that is what I answered.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Six errors in the first paragraph alone. Spelling, capitalization, grammar, redundant sentence (putting the same statement in twice). Essentially it was a mess.

 

[GB]

Well it is a good thing he has apologized.

 

[VeraBlue]

I do not think I am trivializing your point at all. You asked when it became socially acceptable for a couple of mistakes to be okay. A couple, in my book, is two. I was simply responding to your statement.

None of us know (with the exception of Callisto in NC) the extent of the mistakes made. We can assume from her post that they were more than a couple. In that case, as I have mentioned, I find it unacceptable. But when you ask a specific question as you did then I will answer that question and not one that I think maybe possibly you meant to ask instead. You asked about a couple and that is what I answered.

I was musing regarding expatgirl's post that a couple of errors in a letter were okay. I don't believe accepting one's human-ness is a pass to produce shoddy workmanship.

 

[GB]

I know that is what you were doing which is why I made the comment I did. There is a big difference between making a couple of mistakes and producing shoddy workmanship.

Well just be glad that when you display your human-ness, people do not call you on it.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

This is a very interesting thread. Thanks, Callisto, for starting it. I worry about the quality of my children's education, in particular the quality of their language skills, expressive as well as receptive. I think it's exceptionally important for them to have a good command of written English. In fact, it's so important to me that I have home schooled my children, who have excelled in college largely due to their strong language skills.

I definitely would find it disturbing to receive poorly composed communications from my child's school and would feel it necessary to address it in some way. I think Callisto handled it wonderfully. Communicating privately with the author is a polite and sensitive way to express your concerns. The point is not to embarrass but to address a concern about upholding high standards in your child's school.

I also think that it is equally important to promote kindness of spirit. For example, I would hope no one who is a guest in my home for dinner would expect the same level of culinary skill as they would expect at a fine restaurant or at Julia Child's home. I simply am not as capable in that area.

There are people who aren't as skilled in composition or haven't had benefit of excellent education and thus do not use proper grammar and are poor spellers. My grandmother was an avid letter writer but had very little education. I remember as a child when I first realized they were full of errors. Because I loved and respected her, it simply helped me understand (as Mikki pointed out) that even adults aren't perfect. So while I place great value on well-written communications, I don't take offense at mistakes in informal "letters".

 

[Callisto in NC]

The biggest deal I had with this letter is that it was his first correspondence with parents. That letter should be perfect. It's the first impression, it should not have one error, let alone six in the first paragraph.

Things like this: We have notified the Iredell County Health Department of our single, confirmed case and confirmed case of MRSA. Seriously, redundant much?

The more I read it the more I find fault including missing words. They hyphenated water fountains. The more I read it the more I just become ill that this man is leading my child's school.

I already regularly shake my head over the school's most famous alumni. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. graduated from MHS. Regularly the man appears on television using "ain't" and other horrific grammar. The entire English department regularly claims to not have taught him to attempt to reassure parents. This letter didn't help instill confidence. The school report card is great, but the new leadership is questionable at best. At least Mr. Wirt too responsiblity.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I absolutely agree with you. If we as parents don't hold the educators to at least the same standards we hold our children to, then who is to blame? The truth is that we pay for our educational system and we need to be careful and attentive to the job they are doing.

I am impressed with the way you did it because that man is the head of your child's school. He is in a position of great power and so he should accept the responsibility of setting an exemplary example. Now that you have made him aware that you as a parent expect more attention to his work, you are in a position to hold him to it by reading future correspondence carefully and protesting poorly crafted communications. It will be interesting to see if he keeps his word.

 

[suziquzie]

I agree that schools are charged with teaching our children proper English, however they cannot be held completely accountable for children actually USING this knowledge.

Education begins at home, and if Dale Jr is going to say ain't, I do believe that is more an "environmental" issue than anything else. When it comes down to it, parents are responsible for requiring a child USES the things they learn in school.

 

[bethzaring]

You are trivializing my point. I'm not referring to the omission of a comma; and I don't believe the letter in question was simply missing a comma. Although, we were all taught how to correctly place commas in sentences. I'm referring to grammatically incorrect sentences, misspelled words, inappropriate participles, run on sentences.

Sending any communication without benefit of spell check or proofreading shows the sender is not overly concerned with how he presents himself. It also demonstrates that he is little disturbed by the fact that he thinks little enough of the recipient.

How we dress, how we conduct ourselves in public, how we converse, and even how we write are windows. Must a suit be one thousand dollars? No, but it should be neat and tidy. Is is imperative to know which fork to use for the seafood course? If you are planning to dine at a seafood restaurant, it is. Should we endeavour to speak clearly and concisely? Whyever would anyone ever consider otherwise?

Conversely, a letter delivered with errors is of little consequence, at the end of the day. However, it's the decided nature of society that one letter, one conversation, one meal in the presence of a boor is 'no big thing'. It's the adding and continued adding on of more improprieties that disturbs me. I reject that it's okay to have a couple of errors. If I permit it, then I'm demonstrating that I really don't deserve the very best that someone has to offer. If I continue to permit it, than I only serve to add to the situation.

This is so funny!!

I just ran this high lighted area through my spell checker VB and it came up with 7 errors. Can you find them?

 

[Callisto in NC]

I agree that schools are charged with teaching our children proper English, however they cannot be held completely accountable for children actually USING this knowledge.

Education begins at home, and if Dale Jr is going to say ain't, I do believe that is more an "environmental" issue than anything else. When it comes down to it, parents are responsible for requiring a child USES the things they learn in school.

If you ever heard the rest of his family, you know he didn't get it from them. The point being, the entire English department of the entire MGSD tries very hard to break all children of that. His father never used it, his sister doesn't. It's not always environment and it is always embarrassing for the teachers he had.

 

[Callisto in NC]

This is so funny!!

I just ran this high lighted area through my spell checker VB and it came up with 7 errors. Can you find them?

Interesting. I get no spelling errors. I get one British spelling for endeavour (my friend lives in Canada and that's how she spells it too) and I get one missed space between a word. That's all. There certainly weren't 7 in what she wrote.

 

[bethzaring]

Interesting. I get no spelling errors. I get one British spelling for endeavour (my friend lives in Canada and that's how she spells it too) and I get one missed space between a word. That's all. There certainly weren't 7 in what she wrote.

My spell checker scans for all grammatical errors. VB started one sentence with "Is is imperative". My checker picks up errors like that error. My checker detected (7) seven errors.

 

[Callisto in NC]

My spell checker scans for all grammatical errors. VB started one sentence with "Is is imperative". My checker picks up errors like that error. My checker detected (7) seven errors.

Is is isn't a spelling error. You said spelling errors/ran it through spell check. I still do not get seven. I ran it again with grammar check on, still don't get seven.