Our Journey: ADHD & Gifted « curlykidz

There’s still more here and there, but I think I have the bulk of the “milestones” transferred.

Archive for the ‘ADHD & Gifted’ Category

via ADHD & Gifted « curlykidz.

Amazing Insight from a 10-Year-Old

On Saturday, I had one of the most disconcerting and satisfying days ever. A frantic Mom had emailed me a 15-page report back from her child’s psychologist, asking if we could meet. The report didn’t tell the parents anything new. The parents already knew that their child struggled with this, that and the other. Instead of providing a deep understanding of WHY her son struggled with about 12 behaviors, the report merely attached scary labels to these behaviors in an effort to categorize them:Your son is suffering from sensory processing disorder, attention deficit disorder, auditory processing disorder, opposition defiant disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, dysgraphia and fine motor skills difficulties that impact writing.Many of you have felt the fear and dread that accompanies such a diagnosis-imaging a childhood lost to endless therapy, headaches in school and thousands of dollars in testing and treatment. Many have no diagnosis, but you recognize the behaviors.

Here is what is frustrating. No one ever provides the ONE critical piece of insight necessary to make lasting change academically, behaviorally and psychologically: understanding the root cause of these behaviors.

Q1 Report Cards & Halloween Costumes

Tyler has C’s in Albegra & Language Arts and B’s in Science, Social Studies, PE & Electronics Band. Overall I’m happy with his report card; his average GPA is better than it’s been for a while. I’m not happy about the C’s, obviously, but I’m most concerned about his grade in Algebra. He has tests each semester that he has to pass with a 70% in order to get high school credit for the class. I’m having a hard time figuring out how much of his grade is effort (or lack thereof) or subject content. I guess the district has a new policy where kids have to be re evaluated for 504’s every three years. This gets on my nerves for several reasons, one of which is that on the paperwork I have to fill out, they ask me to provide copies of report cards. ?!?!?!?!

Halle has a C in math (what’s UP with math this quarter?) and has herself convinced that it’s soooo hard. I watch her try and use strategies to solve problems that I swear to God add like, three or four extra steps. So we’re working on that, and she’s got A’s in every other subject.  She says she wants to run for Student Congress this year instead of Conflict Manager, which is a relief to me. Iasked her if she was going to join Buddy Club this year, and she said no… if she does Student Congress and Buddy Club it’s just too much running around (all these activities happen during lunch recess). I thought that was pretty impressive… hopefully she’ll be able to maintain that awareness of what she can handle & what’s going to just stress her out, unlike those of us who “should” ourselves to death.

Daija is coming along… she’s got self control & taking esponsibility as areas of concern, and everything else is developing or proficient (she doesn’t get letter grades yet). We’re working on that as well… Mommy needs to be more consistent! We spoiled the baby, and now I’m paying for it (and sadly, so is her teacher).

We went and got costumes last night, and somehow, not one of the kids is a vampire. Tyler is an “underworld outcast” and Daija is a US Diva. Halle said over the weekend she wanted to use last year’s costume (she was cleopatra). So I may be dressing up as cleopatra’s mother again… and we’ll be doing our usual Halloween tradition of trick or treating around the neighborhood for a minute and then heading to Doomtown at Rawhide.

ADHD, middle school, and assistive technology

Well, I haven’t blogged about it much, but I have become a prisoner of Tyler’s homework.  He is having a really tough year.  In preparation for middle school, the 5th grade students have reading, writing, and math with their homeroom teacher, and have block scheduling for social studies and science, each with different fourth grade teachers.  On top of that transition, Tyler goes to the gifted teacher for reading and math.  So his day looks like this:

Homeroom
PE, Art, or Music
Homeroom
Reading
Social Studies/Science
Homeroom
Math
Homeroom

So Tyler deals with three to four teachers on a daily basis, and has classroom changes almost every period.  That’s a lot of transition, and he has a really hard time getting back into a calm and focused state.  He gets very little done in school, and he spends most of every evening a) doing work he didn’t do in class or b) on punishment for not bringing home work he knows he didn’t do.

ADHD gadgets… part 2

Y’all remember the Watchminder, right? The short version is, it was a GREAT idea, but the product just didn’t deliver. If you want the long version, see my review in the link.

So the next step in my quest for something other than myself to follow Tyler around and redirect him is the TIMEX Ironman Data Link USB Watch.

Typing for IEP or 504 Accommodations

Tyler has been using Scholastic’s Type to Learn at school as part of his 504 plan.  He absolutely loves it – and has ‘forgotten’ to go to the cafeteria for breakfast once or twice in his hurry to get into class early to play it before school.  I had assumed it was something only the school could get, but there are two downloadable versions for about $15…

Type to Learn Jr. and Type to Learn

as well as their full versions that are available to the public, and most of which won’t break the bank. 

Scholastic/Sunburst Type to Learn Software

Check with your tax professional, but personal use items designed for or recommended by a doctor as a way to mitigate a medical condition or learning disability can be deducted in your taxes or reimbursed by a flexible spending account.  BTW, I was able to get reimbursed with no questions or delays from my TFSA for the Watchminder2, an event that rivaled Moses parting the Red Sea.  I am not kidding – my issues with AON are a standing joke to my neighboring coworkers.  I wouldn’t say that I hate the company or their brain dead customer service agents, data entry clerks, and managers… I simply dislike them with the white hot intensity of the Sonoran Sun in the sixth year of drought.  Unfortunately, the product (though designed for kids with ADHD) couldn’t hold up to the reality of being worn by a kid with ADHD.  But I have my eye on another reminder device that might be everything the Watchminder2 was supposed to be.

ARTICLE: Growing Up Gifted with AD/HD – 2006

ARTICLE: Growing Up Gifted with AD/HD – CURLYGURL’s MySpace Blog | Cyndi–s Jewels

March 7, 2006 – Tuesday 11:50 PM

ARTICLE: Growing Up Gifted with AD/HD Category: Life I’m twelve years old and for as long as I can remember, I’ve had opposite sides to myself. I’m told that I’m “gifted” — very smart and creative. But I also have to work really, really hard at things that seem much easier for other kids, like memorizing and paying attention. Here’s an example: In math and science and in art, I’m quicker at figuring things out than other kids. Like when my teacher tells us a new way to subtract fractions, it seems obvious to me and not to other kids. But when I’m trying to listen to someone talking or lecturing, my mind starts to wander. Link to Full Article

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ADHD Perspective: my name is Wild Child… – 2006

This is a personal narrative from my son, describing his ADHD.

March 6, 2006 – Monday 10:35 PM

My name is Wild Child and I am nine years old.  I go to [ABC School].  I am in 4th grade and I am in Mr. Homeroom’s classroom and I have Mrs. Gifted for reading.  I am gifted and I have ADHD.  My ADHD makes it really hard for me to remember things and pay attention.  It also makes it hard for me to sit still.  I take medicine for my ADHD.  When I take my medicine, I feel like regular me, but kinda tired and not so excited.  When I don’t take my medicine, I feel really excited about everything, and I feel jumpy and I want to move a lot and stuff like that.  I like taking my medicine.  I feel like I’m getting a whole lot better grades than I did when I was in second grade and I didn’t know I had ADHD; it helps me sit still in class and pay attention a little better. Sometimes when my teacher is giving directions, I look at him while he’s talking but then my eyes start drifting off to something else and then my brain starts thinking about that thing.  One day while we were talking about math, Mr. Homeroom was teaching us about the problems for that day, and I looked at one of the math problems, a multiplication problem, and I started staring.  Then my brain started reading the numbers backwards and thinking of different multiplication problems and I wasn’t paying attention anymore.  I didn’t figure out the answer, so when Mr. Homeroom called me I didn’t know the answer.  After that Mr. Homeroom told me to go back to the thinking table.  I think I was in trouble for not paying attention.

Just think of me as the white rabbit (Section 504 Update) – 2006

Just think of me as the white rabbit (Section 504 Update) – CURLYGURL’s MySpace Blog | Cyndi–s Jewels

I’m up half the night at home researching for this and then at work I’m furtively printing documentation like mad in between tasks… I’m so behind in everything… work, housework, friends… ya know… life.

Aside from my ‘independant research’ I made a few phone calls that kinda bolstered my confidence.  On Monday I spent nearly 45 minutes with the director of gifted services at the AZ Dept of Ed, and yesterday I about 30 minutes on the phone with a staff attorney from the US Dept of Ed’s Office of Civil Rights… I’ll have to post details of those conversations this weekend.

I finally confirmed the date of the next CST (child study team)/504 Accommodations meeting on Tuesday, 3/8.  Tyler’s teacher, the school’s gifted teacher, the school’s SpEd coordinator, and the District’s 504 coordinator will all be in attendance… not sure about the school Psychologist.  I called to follow up with Ms. SpEd, and discovered she’d forgotten all about him (eyes roll outta my head).  That was the weightier of the reasons we decided to continue the meeting, so that he could attend.  She’s sweet and seems well intentioned, but either she’s overworked or she’s on the ditzy side.

So my task between now and then is to sort through the two or three reams of paper I’m hefting around with me everywhere I go, and figure out how much of it I want to carry into this meeting.  I have about twice as much paperwork as I had when I went to the last meeting.  Mr. Teacher made a wow comment, and Ms. SpEd looked a little freaked out when I plopped that bulging 2 in binder on the conference table.  I also need to get some records from Tyler’s initial diagnosis/comments from that psychologist.  I’m trying to get some records out of the old school district and I am so hot with them right now… they only have scores for Tyler’s 2nd grade SAT-9’s.  No SAT-9 scores for 3rd grade, and no AIMS scores.  For those of you in AZ… you know the AIMS.  IT’S FREAKING REQUIRED FOR A CHILD TO PASS IT TO GRADUATE FROM 3RD, 8TH, AND 12TH GRADES and they have no record of it.

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Tyler’s 504 (long one)….

With Tyler’s report card, I also got a letter from the school requesting my permission to formally evaluate him for gifted services.  Can’t remember if I posted about this at the time, but one of my reservations about sending the kids to this other district is that their guidelines for gifted services are exactly as mandated by state law… a score on an approved test of 97th percentile or higher.  Our home district, because of the socioeconomic factors and high ESL (english as a second language) population, offered gifted services to students with lower scores, but I can’t remember what exactly the cut off was.  This isn’t a problem for Halle, she scored ”98 plus” on the Raven’s, but Tyler’s highest scores were 95th & 96th e (on the WISC III), he is below the cut off for gifted services in the Kyrene district.  Of further concern to me, is that Kyrene’s initial screening test is the CoGat,which both the kids have taken and neither did particularly well on.  Many of these ‘IQ’ tests are commonly known in academic communities to be racially, culturally, and economically biased.  White suburban kids tend to do quite well on them… and so do white midwestern kids where these tests are normed.  Brown inner city kids, not so much. And I guess it goes without saying that the CoGat isn’t the test of choice for children with learning disabilities of any kind, including ADHD.  I spoke with someone in gifted services at the district, as well as with the gifted teacher at the school, before I enrolled them and was comfortable with the discussion, and it was agreed by all that we’d address whether Tyler needed the gifted curriculum after we saw how he did on the intake evaluations and in the regular classroom, since it’s more academically advanced than the one he was coming from.  He was placed in the gifted reading class as a guest student the first day after his initial reading evaluation showed he was reading at an 8th grade level, and he was placed in the highest math track in his regular classroom (he missed an entire quarter on division while he was at the f-ing charter school reviewing 2 and 3 digit addition ).

So I gave permission for him to be formally evaluated, but had some reservations because I anticipated he would be given the CoGat.  Next night I find out that Tyler is being tested in a group setting, and had not asked for a study corral, which is one of this 504 accomodations.  Now, Tyler is the first ADHD/504 student his gifted teacher has had, so I figure it’s an oversight.  I get in touch with her to express my concerns and there’s a flurry at the school because apparently, Roosevelt didn’t include his 504 when they forwarded his records.  I should have known.  However, Lisa indicates that Tyler’s verbal comprehension score (95th e) on the WISC, coupled with the fact that he does have a condition that impacts his performance on standardized tests, may be sufficient to formally qualify him for gifted services in reading, but they will need to qualify him with another test in order for him to go into the gifted math class. So we tentatively scheduled the testing to reconvene after Tyler’s teacher, the special resource teacher who handles special ed (aka SPED), and myself meet and develop a new 504.  Because the 504 I had to go to the RSD office to get is expired anyway (they have to be redone each year).  In the meantime, I’m told by Tyler’s teacher that Tyler is not allowed to have accomodations during a gifted evaluation, per the SPED teacher, per somone at KSD.

You can imagine my response.  I’ve read Section 504, thank you very much, and my understanding is this… congress guarantees my son reasonable accomodations because he has a disability that impacts his learning, and to deny him those accomodations would be considered discrimination against a student protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  So basically, someone is telling me that Kyrene’s standard policy for access to gifted services discriminates against students with disabilities.

I don’t think that’s actually the intention… gifted students are a small percentage of the student population, as is the percentage of students who qualify for 504 plans.  The percentage of ‘twice exceptional’ students like Tyler, who are both gifted and learning disabled, is even smaller.  It seems that Tyler may be the first 2E student any of the staff I’ve dealt with thus far have ever encountered.  And everyone truly seems to have the best of intentions where Tyler is concerned, so thankfully I’ve been able to approach this in a positive and collaborative manner.

So we had the 504 meeting, and really expanded on what had been there before to address some issues I see starting to crop up (there’s a lot more writing this year, which wasn’t an issue last year) and I was really happy with the classroom and homework accomodations we came up with, some suggested by Tyler’s regular classroom teacher & the SpEd coordinator, which I wouldn’t even have asked for.  I’ll share more of that when it’s final though.  We decided that we’d really need to meet again to finalize it since we were an hour into the meeting on a Friday afternoon, and Ms. Sped asked if I had any other questions.  I asked Mr. 4th Grade about Tyler’s math performance.  I wanted to know if he felt Tyler needed the additional challenge of the gifted math curriculum, or was he just keeping up where he was.  He indicated that when he breaks the kids up into skill groups in his classroom, he groups Tyler with the kids who are in the gifted math class and that he felt Tyler could definitely handle it.

So then I dive into the whole ‘accomodations’ thing and explain that not only for Tyler, but for the ‘greater good’ I want clarification on the district policy as it was explained to me… to the point that I want to know what this policy is based on.  I explain my understanding of 504, and that based on my understanding, their policy violates federal law… and if that’s not the case, and there is some obscure law I don’t know about that says disabled students are not entitled to protection under 504 for gifted services (which I can’t imagine, since gifted services fall under special ed in AZ), then I want to know chapter and verse what that law is and where I can find it.

We’ll be having a Child Study Team meeting to finalize the 504 plan.  Ms. Sped was very candid that my points were certainly valid,but unfortunately beyond her expertise.  She volunteered to make sure that both the School Psychologist and the District’s Director of SpEd are in attendance at our next meeting so that they can address the issue in detail.

originally posted Tyler’s 504 (long one)…. – CURLYGURL’s MySpace Blog | Cyndi–s Jewels

charter thing isn’t working out too well…

I made the decision to enroll the kids at this school based on the Tucson school’s success; they are one of a handful of schools ranked excelling by the AZ Dept of Ed. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the Phoenix campus is going to enjoy the same success; at least not for a few more years, and I don’t have that kind of time. I sent the email below to the principal of the kids’ current school a week ago and haven’t gotten a response. I’m more frustrated by the day. I’m probably going to be moving the kids to another school within the next two weeks. I read an article in the paper last spring about school choice and learned that Kyrene (a neighboring school district with a very good reputation) provides transportation to one of their schools, and they have room for both the kids. I had considered it but didn’t know anyone whose children attended there so I nixed it. But I’ve since found out one of Halle’s friends who lives in our area goes to school there, so I called her mother last week. She said she loves loves loves it and has absolutely no complaints. The only drawback (and this was also a factor last spring) is that they have a handful of bus stops in our area. Last spring, the two closest stops are both close to a mile from our house. This fall, they added a stop at the community center the kids went to over the summer, because they opened an after school program that hadn’t existed in the spring. Problem is, they’re short a staff member or two and we’re on a waiting list until they get someone else hired.

I’m trying to figure out when Ro will be home, or how close the city is to hiring another staff member. I am to the point though, with this f-ing school that I may not be able to wait for Ro to get home or the city program to open up, and may have to let the kids take the city bus that seven-tenths of a mile and go to my sitter’s or a neighbor’s house, or home. I’m not terribly comfortable with them taking the bus even that short distance, but nothing is changing at this school and I’m becoming more and more worried that they’ll fall behind. I keep telling myself that whichever of the two evils I choose, it’s only temporary. But that’s not helping; I don’t have any idea what time from ‘temporary’ is… it could be a week or months.

I am so frustrated with Ro right now. It looks like there’s a good chance that Northwest will offer the contractors permanent positions, and I think he’s considering taking an offer, if they make him one. It’s probably premature for me to be upset because a) he hasn’t gotten an offer and b) just because he gives it consideration doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. But it’s just one more thing to think about at night. Him taking a permanent job out of state was not part of the deal. This was supposed to be a temporary thing, just because they were paying so well and offering so much paid training. If he said thanks but no thanks, he’d be back here in a few more weeks (I think… I’m not sure how long he’s obligated to stay) and just wait until the after school program opens up before taking another job. Then I wouldn’t have to stress about the kids going to a rotten school, or having to fend for themselves after school.

I wanted to follow up with you regarding our meeting three weeks ago. I am disappointed to report that in the last three weeks, I have not seen any significant improvement for Halle (1st grade). Briefly before the holiday, she was bringing home extra worksheets that were closer to the level of work she was doing in kinder; however, one night she had two of the same worksheet and indicated the teacher wanted her to do the same worksheet, twice. Additionally, she had a Saxon worksheet she had completed without error the week before. I spoke with Mrs. Reed on the telephone, who indicated she was giving extra worksheets to her advanced students and confirmed that she was giving them duplicates for practice. I could not think of a tactful way to share my thoughts on the logic of that practice, but I did express that while I appreciated her efforts to challenge Halle, having the advanced children do the same assignment twice and giving them extra worksheets in addition to the regular classwork almost punishes a child for being academically gifted. I pointed out that it seemed more logical to simply give the child work that is academically appropriate to their skill level. Mrs. Reed indicated to me then that she had to follow the curriculum. This is completely at odds with what I was told by Marilyn Eisenberg prior to enrolling my children at SSA and what we discussed in August, which was that while there was no gifted program, my children would be allowed to accelerate within the curriculum and would not be held back. I haven’t seen any ‘extra’ worksheets since that conversation, but the work Halle brings home continues to be the equivalent of the sight words and spelling words that her kindergarten teacher assigned during the first few weeks of school. I ran into Halle’s kindergarten teacher last week and when she asked about Halle’s new school, all I could say was, ‘At least she’s bored in a class of 10 instead of being bored in a class of 25.’

I also mentioned that Tyler had not had any assigned homework. He started having homework the following week, however, he almost never brings it home because he has finished it in class. I have inquired with Mr. Behrens multiple times as to whether Tyler is indeed turning in his homework and his answers are generally vague. I have made it a point to speak with Mr. Behrens on more than one occasion about Tyler’s severe executive function deficits and hyperactivity; as the parent of an ADHD child Mr. Behrens assured me that he was very familiar with the needs of students with ADHD. Unfortunately, I have not seen any evidence of this. There has been no follow up from Mr. Behrens confirming whether or not Tyler is turning in his homework. I have also seen no graded homework or classwork. I have asked Tyler if Mr. Behrens ever gives reminders such as, ‘make sure you have your books or assignments, etc; either to him to the class at large, and he says there are none. It has also become apparent that Tyler spends a considerable amount of time in class where he is supposed to ‘find something quiet to do’ while Mr. Behrens teaches the other grade. Never having taught myself I can’t say I know the best way to manage any classroom, mixed grade or otherwise, but leaving about a dozen children, at least one of which has hyperactive and impulsive behaviors, to their own devices seems unwise at best. What I understand from Tyler, and I admit that his perspective is not always the whole picture, Mr. Behrens instructs them to work on homework, read, or draw while he teaches the other class. I don’t get the impression from Tyler that he usually has any specific classwork he is supposed to be doing while the other grade receives instruction. I don’t think this classroom environment has the structure or organization that Tyler needs to be successful, and I am having an increasingly difficult time picturing my child in it for one year, much less two (although if we stay the year, perhaps next year enrollment will have increased enough to have separate 4/5 classrooms). I mentioned in our meeting that Tyler seems to have a great deal of time to draw – frankly I’ve become concerned this 4/5 split classroom has left my child only being instructed about half the time he’s in the classroom. I admit to being spoiled as Tyler has had some truly exceptional teachers, but he has never had time in any other classroom, not even with the first grade teacher I thought was mediocre at best, ever had time to sit and draw, nor told to bring a book from home to keep busy with. And I should probably ditto that for Halle; she comes home with anywhere from one to five pages of notebook paper covered in pictures and with little notes written on them. Additionally, the work that Tyler is doing, particularly in math and spelling is not the level of work he was doing in third grade. I’m especially concerned to have read on Mr. Behrens homework log that the 4th and 5th graders are both doing the chapter in the spelling book. This week’s words definitely easier than what I’m used to seeing Tyler bring home and I can’t help but wonder what fifth grade would hold for him in this classroom.

A side note: I see no correlation between the spelling words and any of his subject matter and am not sure what is being done regarding integration of subjects. In 2nd and 3rd grade, Tyler’s spelling words ALWAYS were related to what he was studying in math, science, social studies, or language arts. My daughters spelling words at the beginning of her kindergarten year were always variations of the group of sight words she was learning, and by the end of the year her teacher had all but given up trying to challenge her ‘apple group’ and started asking them what they wanted to learn to spell… so Halle came home with spelling words like ’significant’ and ‘cooperate’.

Finally, I wanted to comment about the after school activities. I was very perplexed to get the list of proposed activities and see that the only options available to my 4th grader would be music, sports, and spelling. There is nothing for science or math or strategic thinking (chess, etc), which was what I was expecting from SSA. I left a public school that offered band to all 4-8 students as well as football, basketball, soccer, and softball, so the fact that his options are basically a watered down version of extracurriculars he could have had at the school I pulled him from is incredibly disappointing. I was even more perplexed that K-2 students have three more after school options than the 4th graders do, and that their options are more academic than those offered to older, more mature students with longer attention spans. Can you give me any insight into those disparities?

Meeting Follow-Up

Dear Mr. Principal,

I wanted to follow up with you regarding our meeting three weeks ago.  I am disappointed to report that in the last three weeks, I have not seen any significant improvement for Princess (1st grade).  Briefly before the holiday, she was bringing home extra worksheets that were closer to the level of work she was doing in kinder; however, one night she had two of the same worksheet and indicated the teacher wanted her to do the same worksheet, twice.  Additionally, she had a Saxon worksheet she had completed without error the week before.  I spoke with Ms. 1^st Grade on the telephone, who indicated she was giving extra worksheets to her advanced students and confirmed that she was giving them duplicates for practice.  I could not think of a tactful way to share my thoughts on the logic of that practice, but I did express that while I appreciated her efforts to challenge Princess, having the advanced children do the same assignment twice and giving them extra worksheets in addition to the regular class work almost punishes a child for being academically gifted.  I pointed out that it seemed more logical to simply give the child work that is academically appropriate to their skill level. Ms. 1^st Grade indicated to me then that she had to follow the curriculum.  This is completely at odds with what I was told by Ms. Marketing/Enrollment prior to enrolling my children at SSA and what we discussed in August, which was that while there was no gifted program, my children would be allowed to accelerate within the curriculum and would not be held back.  I haven’t seen any ‘extra’ worksheets since that conversation, but the work Princess brings home continues to be the equivalent of the sight words and spelling words that her kindergarten teacher assigned during the first few weeks of school.  I ran into Princess’s kindergarten teacher last week and when she asked about Princess’s new school, all I could say was, ‘At least she’s bored in a class of 10 instead of being bored in a class of 25.’

 I also mentioned that Wild Child had not had any assigned homework.  He started having homework the following week, however, he almost never brings it home because he has finished it in class.  I have inquired with Mr. 4th/5th Grade multiple times as to whether Wild Child is indeed turning in his homework and his answers are generally vague.  I have made it a point to speak with Mr. 4th/5th Grade on more than one occasion about Wild Child’s severe executive function deficits and hyperactivity; as the parent of an ADHD child Mr. 4th/5th Grade assured me that he was very familiar with the needs of students with ADHD.  Unfortunately, I have not seen any evidence of this.  There has been no follow up from Mr. 4th/5th Grade confirming whether or not Wild Child is turning in his homework.  I have also seen no graded homework or class work. I have asked Wild Child if Mr. 4th/5th Grade ever gives reminders such as, ‘make sure you have your books or assignments, etc; either to him to the class at large, and he says there are none.  It has also become apparent that Wild Child spends a considerable amount of time in class where he is supposed to ‘find something quiet to do’ while Mr. 4th/5th Grade teaches the other grade.  Never having taught myself I can’t say I know the best way to manage any classroom, mixed grade or otherwise, but leaving about a dozen children, at least one of which has hyperactive and impulsive behaviors, to their own devices seems unwise at best.  What I understand from Wild Child, and I admit that his perspective is not always the whole picture, Mr. 4th/5th Grade instructs them to work on homework, read, or draw while he teaches the other class.  I don’t get the impression from Wild Child that he usually has any specific class work he is supposed to be doing while the other grade receives instruction.  I don’t think this classroom environment has the structure or organization that Wild Child needs to be successful, and I am having an increasingly difficult time picturing my child in it for one year, much less two (although if we stay the year, perhaps next year enrollment will have increased enough to have separate 4/5 classrooms).  I mentioned in our meeting that Wild Child seems to have a great deal of time to draw – frankly I’ve become concerned this 4/5 split classroom has left my child only being instructed about half the time he’s in the classroom.  I admit to being spoiled as Wild Child has had some truly exceptional teachers, but he has never had time in any other classroom, not even with the first grade teacher I thought was mediocre at best, ever had time to sit and draw, nor told to bring a book from home to keep busy with.  And I should probably ditto that for Princess; she comes home with anywhere from one to five pages of notebook paper covered in pictures and with little notes written on them.  Additionally, the work that Wild Child is doing, particularly in math and spelling is not the level of work he was doing in third grade.  I’m especially concerned to have read on Mr. 4th/5th Grade homework log that the 4th and 5th graders are both doing the chapter in the spelling book.  This week’s words definitely easier than what I’m used to seeing Wild Child bring home and I can’t help but wonder what fifth grade would hold for him in this classroom.  

 A side note:  I see no correlation between the spelling words and any of his subject matter and am not sure what is being done regarding integration of subjects.  In 2nd and 3rd grade, Wild Child’s spelling words ALWAYS were related to what he was studying in math, science, social studies, or language arts.  My daughters spelling words at the beginning of her kindergarten year were always variations of the group of sight words she was learning, and by the end of the year her teacher had all but given up trying to challenge her ‘apple group’ and started asking them what they wanted to learn to spell… so Princess came home with spelling words like ’significant’ and ‘cooperate’. 

 Finally, I wanted to comment about the after school activities.  I was very perplexed to get the list of proposed activities and see that the only options available to my 4th grader would be music, sports, and spelling.  There is nothing for science or math or strategic thinking (chess, etc), which was what I was expecting from SSA.  I left a public school that offered band to all 4-8 students as well as football, basketball, soccer, and softball, so the fact that his options are basically a watered down version of extracurriculars he could have had at the school I pulled him from is incredibly disappointing.  I was even more perplexed that K-2 students have three more after school options than the 4th graders do, and that their options are more academic than those offered to older, more mature students with longer attention spans.  Can you give me any insight into those disparities?

 Regards,

DA MOMMA

Tyler & Halle’s Conferences

Parent teacher conferences were about two weeks ago – had Tyler’s first and he’s doing really well. No behavioral problems, his focus/attention is good. He’s not consistent with getting his homework turned in though – but that’s almost to be expected with him. Other than that, his handwriting is now what she considers grade level, and she confided that his handwriting is not the worst in the class by any means. BUT, it is still laborious for him, which is one of two problems contributing to the improvements he needs to make in language arts. Because it takes him so long to write, he often loses his thought before he’s done with the physical activity of writing. He does anything and everything he can to cut whatever he is writing about short – very few details, frequently fragmented sentences. She feels his analytical/logical nature also is a hindrance and she wants him to work on being silly/funny/creative in writing, and that it’s OK to write about a character in a way that you wouldn’t talk about a real person (like maybe make the character ugly, or crazy, or stupid, etc). So that’s going to be our focus for him with his tutors. Oh, and his reading fluency doesn’t match his comprehension and apparently Tyler interests lie in/he is choosing books that are beyond his fluency so I need to help him work on that.

Pleased as punch, I head over for Halle’s conference. I got over to see Mrs. A.G., and I didn’t think it was going to go well when she started off by saying ‘Halle, Halle, Halle’. I commented as such, and she told me she is not very happy with my daughter right now. She said she thinks she is a very sweet girl, but she is not happy with her. Apparently, Halle does *nothing*. She comes into class with a smile on her face, but then goes to her seat and sits there, and usually does nothing while the rest of the class writes the morning message “Good Morning. Today is (month, day).” I swear to all that is I almost fell out of my seat when she told me this story…. the other day B.A.G. told her she couldn’t have treat or free time or whatever was going on that day until she did the Wednesday morning message – which Halle did. But the on Thursday, thinking it had worked well the day before and she gave Halle the same instruction, Halle came to her two minutes later and said ‘I’m done!’ She had taken the paper she used Wednesday and erased Wednesday and 29, and wrote Thursday and 30 in their place. I was so glad Halle was not there; I couldn’t have held it in. B.A.G. told me she thought it was pretty funny too, but would never tell Halle that. She figures if Halle was smart enough to do that, Halle is plenty smart enough to be writing the message every day like she’s supposed too. B.A.G. tells me that she looks at Halle, and Halle looks at her, and she looks at Halle, and Halle looks at her. She says she gets the impression Halle thinks it’s her job to sit there and look pretty; she will look over and Halle will be straightening her skirt, or adjusting her socks, etc. She gets a 100% on almost every spelling test, and got an 85% on the last reading test. Academically Halle is one of her best students, but she isn’t doing anything to demonstrate that. She has moved her seat several times, no results. She has tried time outs, but that seems to suit Halle just fine (I can agree, Halle used to put herself in time out all the time). She’s at a loss, I’m going to try and figure out a way to give her some incentive that will be easy for B.A.G. and I both to follow through on. She and I also talked about kinder standards and how lax the other kinders in the school and district seem to be. I told her how I was totally overwhelmed at the first of the year by her pace but had to say I am so impressed because obviously it isn’t overwhelming the kids and they are clearly rising to the challenge, Halle included. She complimented my list of questions and asked where I got them, so that made me feel like a good mom