"A C+" hahahahaha

[Babs Johnson]

Was Miss Shields a big old meanie for giving Ralphie a C+ on his Christmas theme?



He even gave her a huge bribe with that extravagant fruit basket!!!

But IMHO that theme was crap. He should be able to write better at his age. I would have graded it a Gentleman's C, even though it really didn't even deserve that.

I guess Miss Shields added the + for the fruit basket.

And school open with snow on the ground???!!! Today even the slightest hint of flurries in the forecast is enough to preemptively close schools for a week in some areas.

 

[BrianL]

Was Miss Shields a big old meanie for giving Ralphie a C+ on his Christmas theme?

View attachment 633957

He even gave her a huge bribe with that extravagant fruit basket!!!

But IMHO that theme was crap. He should be able to write better at his age. I would have graded it a Gentleman's C, even though it really didn't even deserve that.

I guess Miss Shields added the + for the fruit basket.

And school open with snow on the ground???!!! Today even the slightest hint of flurries in the forecast is enough to preemptively close schools for a week in some areas.

I think the grade was warranted, but the comment about the chosen subject matter was not. Ralphie seems older, but he was only supposed to be nine - it always amazed me that they were reading Silas Marner in the fourth grade - I didn't read that until high school and even then it was a snooze!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Was Miss Shields a big old meanie for giving Ralphie a C+ on his Christmas theme?

Yes. She had no spelling or grammar mistakes marked on the paper (even though he very clearly spelled Christmas wrong at least once). She had no constructive criticism on how he could have organized his paragraphs or regarding his lack of facts used to back up his argument. Her only complaint was "you'll shoot your eye out". This is not helpful. A-

 

[RedAngie]

A C+ was generous. Most 4th graders should be able to compose a more intelligent theme. And his negative comment about a football as a gift was unnecessary.

Then again Ralphie wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. He couldn’t determine Little Orphan Annie’s secret message until he was completely finished decoding the entire thing???

As for that extravagant fruit basket, any shopkeeper in my neighborhood would have been suspicious if a kid tried to buy anything elaborate, thinking that the kid stole the money from his parents. Even at Christmas. Pineapples were still considered exotic and were pricey back then.

 

[disneychrista]

I have to watch this movie sometime.

 

[BrianL]

As for that extravagant fruit basket, any shopkeeper in my neighborhood would have been suspicious if a kid tried to buy anything elaborate, thinking that the kid stole the money from his parents. Even at Christmas. Pineapples were still considered exotic and were pricey back then.

I always figured the parents bought it. Honestly, they did appear to be pretty upper-middle class based on their Christmas and the dad was actually a very generous type. I think he would have gotten a kick out of giving the teacher something impressive.

 

[RedAngie]

Oh, and a 4th grader still believing in Santa? In that tough kiddie world he inhabited, he surely should have picked up clues by then. Certainly the bully would have told kindergarten kids he didn’t exist.

Any 4th grader in my school who let it be known they still believed in Santa would be teased unmercifully. Our third grade nun flat out told us Santa was a myth, but most of us were well aware already.

 

[BrianL]

Oh, and a 4th grader still believing in Santa? In that tough kiddie world he inhabited, he surely should have picked up clues by then. Certainly the bully would have told kindergarten kids he didn’t exist.

Any 4th grader in my school who let it be known they still believed in Santa would be teased unmercifully. Our third grade nun flat out told us Santa was a myth, but most of us were well aware already.

He did say that "most of us are scoffers" but he didn't want to take any chances. I don't think he believed - certianly not that the Santa he ended up seeing was real. He was just out of options.

 

[nicolita3]

The only question I had regarding this scene was calling the assignment a theme. I had never head of that. I have heard of papers, essays, and reports but never a theme.

 

[BrianL]

The only question I had regarding this scene was calling the assignment a theme. I had never head of that. I have heard of papers, essays, and reports but never a theme.

It's a pretty old-fashioned term, I believe short of "Theme Paper."

 

[PollyannaMom]

I agree Raphie's writing style was a little "young" for 4th grade. (And bribes do not influence good teachers!) So the C+ is fair in my book.

@BrianL, I also thought Silas Marner was covered much later.

@RedAngie, sorry about the spoilsport nun. I definitely wouldn't have said so in school, but I think I was still on the edge of believing in 4th grade. I had only turned nine in October and had a brother four years younger, so my mom enthusiastically encouraged me not to ask too many questions until he was a little older.

@disneychrista, absolutely watch it! It's a classic!

 

[nicolita3]

It's a pretty old-fashioned term, I believe short of "Theme Paper."

Oh, okay thank you. I figured it was maybe an older thing or maybe a midwestern thing.

 

[RedAngie]

I always figured the parents bought it. Honestly, they did appear to be pretty upper-middle class based on their Christmas and the dad was actually a very generous type. I think he would have gotten a kick out of giving the teacher something impressive.

Well, the Old Man drove a hard bargain (or thought he did) buying the Christmas tree. He didn’t appear to want to upgrade the faulty furnace, and the tires on the car, especially the spare, were almost bald. True, one can be generous in some ways while being miserly in others.

 

[RedAngie]

I agree Raphie's writing style was a little "young" for 4th grade. (And bribes do not influence good teachers!) So the C+ is fair in my book.


@RedAngie, sorry about the spoilsport nun. I definitely wouldn't have said so in school, but I think I was still on the edge of believing in 4th grade. I had only turned nine in October and had a brother four years younger, so my mom enthusiastically encouraged me not to ask too many questions until he was a little older.

Oh, I wasn’t upset about the nun. Most if not all kids in my class stopped believing before then. I doubt anyone complained to their parents. Even if they did, the parents might have been relieved.

I had to instruct Know-It-All older daughter not to ruin it for her younger sister.

 

[BrianL]

Well, the Old Man drove a hard bargain (or thought he did) buying the Christmas tree. He didn’t appear to want to upgrade the faulty furnace, and the tires on the car, especially the spare, were almost bald. True, one can be generous in some ways while being miserly in others.

Yeah, I think those were jsut his hang-ups, like he had to get over on the system like that. He is clearly a good provider though and a real softie at the end of the day too.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I am guessing if the had wanted the football instead of the bb gun, it would have been a B-

He must have learned something though, he grew up to be a writer/story teller. I am sure she was proud of "future Ralphie"

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Oh, and a 4th grader still believing in Santa?

Why would his belief in Santa affect his grade?

 

[Stargazer65]

And school open with snow on the ground???!!! Today even the slightest hint of flurries in the forecast is enough to preemptively close schools for a week in some areas.

1945 Indiana...those people were a hardy folk went it comes to snow and cold weather.

 

[RedAngie]

Why would his belief in Santa affect his grade?

It wouldn’t. Or shouldn’t.

It was a separate observation of mine unrelated to the plot.

 

[Babs Johnson]

I agree that Ralphie most likely didn't believe in Santa anymore, that he was just desperate at that point and figured it couldn't hurt.

In the past I've seen some posts here from parents who swear their (non special needs) kids aged 12 or even older still believe in Santa. Please. They're pretending as not to spoil YOUR illusion.

I don't have a photo of myself with a "real" Santa, department store quality or similar. My mother swears she took me, but I guess my parents were too cheap to buy the photo. There are a few photos with dime-store pretenders at the Elks Lodge or Community Center. To their credit, these imposters never claimed to be the real Santa, just his assistants who'd pass along my request list.

Santa sang the National Anthem at the Washington Capitals NHL game I went to in early December. It was Capitals "Ugly Sweater T-shirt" promo night. My wife and I managed to get 4, since they were on all the seats before the game and the two seats next to her remained vacant.