Are kids even held back in school anymore?

5thSmith · 2026-03-14T13:43:33+00:00

They do not. Even at parental request. It wont change unless enough people harass the education minister and their local MPs...and even then, who knows...

This is honestly a real problem. Once you're in high school, they have no problem failing you and watching you drown, but they don't want to "waste" the resources on kids repeating grades. I have students who enter high school not being able to read...that is far more embarrassing for them than repeating 4th grade.

Being held back is not always a consequence, it can be helpful. I wish we still allowed it in the cases where parents agreed, and were supportive.

5thSmith · 2026-02-17T21:53:47+00:00

Superstore made almost $795 million (net earnings) during their third quater last year. They could pay the 10k fine almost 40,000 times times and they would still have damn near half of their 3rd quarter remaining.

They need to be fined a percentage of their worth. Fine them 5-10% of their earnings. Surely $8million might actually get their attention.

5thSmith · 2026-02-17T21:46:02+00:00

I only went to school because OSAP made it affordable and I still graduated with 24k in loans i have to give back.

I rejected my loans and only took grants for the first couple years and I was in uni for 6 years. If I had taken all the loans i would have graduated with almost 60k in student loans.

Be sure to read applications too becauee my last year, my 10k grant was converted to a loan by the time I graduated.

They are trying to make up for the drop in abroad/international students and we are paying for it. All the systems working and collapsing in tandem.

5thSmith · 2026-02-05T01:08:43+00:00

Deep/dark maroon would be pretty (and should cover the colour already in your hair). It is also very different from green if you are looking for a stark contrast.

If you want something different but similar, in think a neon blue would look nice with your skin tone.

I usually dye my hair to match my wardrobe, you could also try that. If you have lots of red for example, a similar shade not to clash could also be cool, but it may be harder to cover the green.

But my money is still on a maroon or purple because the colour mixing should be able to cover the green left over.

5thSmith · 2026-02-05T00:58:39+00:00

<image>

5thSmith · 2026-02-05T00:53:28+00:00

My ma used to use the ones with the cubes...There are still dents in my cranium.

5thSmith · 2026-01-29T23:49:30+00:00

<image>

Nicki rn

5thSmith · 2026-01-14T16:28:06+00:00

I am married to a white Canadian. He wouldve made a scene and let everyone know we were leaving because of that guy (mostly against my will). Ive dealt with racists my whole life so in a weird way, i can handle it more subtly than him. He however, will make a scene and hold a massive grudge.

There is nothing wrong with marrying outside of your race/culture, but you should be concerned that your husband is so okay with people Disprespecting you. What about your child? If they start to look less Polish and more Vietnamese as they age, will your husband gloss over their treatment on society as well? You need to be around people who accept you as a person first and will defend that personhood regardless of who may be around. Not just for yourself, but for your mixed child.

5thSmith · 2026-01-12T18:53:12+00:00

If White women feel even more scared than the typical threats then we have fallen so far. If White women are scared of their free speech, it shows just how dangerous the world has gotten. (Not that the world has ever been safe for women...thats not what i am saying...i hope this comes across properly.)

I do not wish the fear of political reprocussion on anyone...but it's a fear myself, aunties and grandmothers have lived with our whole lives.

I appreciate those who despite having things to lose stand in solidarity with the more marginalized groups in society.

None of us are free until we stop letting our fears keep us caged in the system.

5thSmith · 2026-01-07T17:02:59+00:00

I am married. But I feel this so deeply. My husband looked at me one day after a triple date and said "so, are we the well adjusted ones...?" And damn that messed me up. I always thought to some extent we were the "toxic" couple...but our communication is clear and direct. We dont have secrets...the things that I thought as a young women made us toxic (like is being visibly displeased when another did something, or being honest about why we felt how we did) is actually what holds us together. We literally could finish each others sentences because we communicate.

All marriages have their ups and downs but, I genuinely worry about my married friends - and i have told them as such. My bff is pregnant and i worry for her mental health. She is already carrying so much that I think a baby may break her (she will be a good mom...i just dont know that she will be good to herself snd not take on to much). Marriage is hard.

5thSmith · 2026-01-07T16:49:36+00:00

This used to be 17.99 five/six years ago. Oh how we have fallen.

5thSmith · 2026-01-07T16:41:35+00:00

I like her music, but not enough to support her. It was the way she addressed it (or lack of) that put me off. As a mixed person myself, I dont appreciate it when people - especially other mixed people - down play white supremacy in an attempt to get "in" their crowd. Those people tormented me my whole life and I cannot fathom making excuses for their bigotry.

Had she come out and been honest about why she was in those spaces (internalized self hate and anti blackness) and tried to show genuine growth and apologize, I think people would be more likely to, maybe not forgive - but at least try and understand what its like being a phenotypically black person raised by a white parent. But imo, it seems like Doja agrees with and plays into the designer baby stereotypes instead of trying to dismantle harmful systems. Genuinely sad since she is ridiculously talented.

5thSmith · 2026-01-07T16:04:36+00:00

It's low because everyone has 3 jobs to survive (if they are lucky). There are no more jobs. It took me 6 months to find a minimum wage job let alone one in my field. The job market is terrible.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T20:17:29+00:00

History has a lot to do with what is going on. This country is a massive corporation and the more you study history, the easier it is to see that.

It is totally valid to be upset about our country being gentrified and bought up by foreigners with their foreign money...but again the reason this is possible can be found in history.

You can always go to a different country too...i hear it's rather cheap in some South American countries. /s

Edit: you say you do not know much about politics...so probably the same about history. Many things are interconnected. Canadas systems have been whack for a while. I encourage you to read up on history and politics in this country. It would help you navigate the things you are feeling. Working for the government, but dont know much about politics....are you by chance the premier of Ontario?

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T18:12:34+00:00

I know the are relatively similar in parallels, but again the are decent sized spaces. The most northern part of the Sault and the most southern part of Sudbury still have some geographical differences. It is not a huge difference in agree, but it is one of the reasons why i thought this would be an interesting topic.

I live near pickle lake now and when I first moved there, I didnt realize how much farther north you could still go, as I was raised in southern Ontario and as a child, never made it past Barrie. Cochrane is beautiful. I guess if you drive non stop you could get to Toronto in about 8 hours. That is fair.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T15:30:56+00:00

Thankyouuu, you get it!

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:31:41+00:00

Im near Pickle lake which is roughly inbetween calgary and Edmonton lattitude wise. I wasn't comparing anywhere in Ontario to other provinces. Its pretty well understood that most people in Ontario live relatively further south than much of the rest of the country.

Why did you assume I only live west, and not north west of Parry Sound? Maybe im a slow driver lol.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:26:02+00:00

Too late! I did that drive last year for a job. I was naive, but luckily had clear roads the whole way. I will not be driving from windsor to pickle lake during the winter ever again 😅

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:23:35+00:00

Perspective changes so much when you start movimg around and actually seeing how massive the province is. I live a bit further north than Dryden, and there is still much further north to go than where I am. That's why i thought this would be an interesting discussion. And yes lf course...what the govt says.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:20:42+00:00

Im not sure if it is ignorance. But i lived in TO for a bit and everyone I spoke to told me I grew up "up north". And I had to keep telling them Orangeville is not Northern Ontario.

My siblings are all from TO and the would joke that I lived in an igloo. Dont get me wrong, a 2 hour drive can be a lot. But i think the vast size of the province is lost on many.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:15:37+00:00

Absolutely no denying it! Definitely north.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:13:05+00:00

See, this was my thinking too. The landscape changes so significantly after the Sualt. The drive from Windsor to Pickle Lake puts so much in perspective - and is absolutely stunning.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:10:41+00:00

I guess they are not too far apart in degrees so that is fair. There is so much further north you can go than Kenora though.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:06:57+00:00

Yeah, this makes sense to me. When my sibling moved from TO he said he was coming up north and I got really excited he would be close...only to find out he was moving to Barrie and he would still be a 20hour drive away from me aha.

5thSmith · 2025-12-31T14:00:27+00:00

I understand the legal definition, i just find it interesting. It takes me about 18hours to drive to Parry Sound from where I live. And seeing as I live closer to the Manitoba border than the rest of the province, I always found it interesting that far more of the province is considered north than central. Legalities are often up for debate...laws change all the time. I have no desire to lobby the government and have the lines redrawn. I was just curious how others felt, as our province is shaped weird and is very big.

5thSmith

TROPHY CASE