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Denae
08-25-2008, 07:14 PM
I am really way to tired to re-type the whole day so I just copy and pasted her caringbridge journal entry here.......

I can not believe the new school year is already here! This morning when I woke Ri up she said "just one more day" and didn't want to get up! She got up and ready and slept in the car all the way to school.

As we were driving down the highway there was a double rainbow,it was as if the universe was trying to show my anxious mommy heart everthing will be ok, and it was.

She was the second student to arrive in her classroom, the aide asked me to hand around for a little bit so she could talk to me. I was in no hurry to leave so it worked out great.

She is in a very culturally diverse classroom. There is one little girl who just moved here from Egypt. Ri noticed that "everybodys skin is different" in her class. I think it is really neat for each of the children.

Ms.King and I did the final paperwork for her to start riding the bus with her aide tomorrow morning. After the teacher and I finished the paperwork I sat in the back of the classroom to just observe (oh, and wait for the aide as she requested) I enjoyed watching the first day activities.

Finally once all the children were unpacked Miss Kim and I went into the hallway to talk, she then wanted to escolate the conversation to the school nurse. We met the school nurse and she is a spit fire! She gave me a 10 minute lecture about why all schools should have a nurse on staff everyday. Which led beautifully into a question by the school nurse "does your daughter have a one on one" AH HA! I say "no, I am very anxious about leaving here today and her being sent into in the regular ed classroom, things are so different here, I don't know who to contact" She quickly tells me she will get that info (which by the way, I did already know, but it is better for a teacher/nurse to make the 1-1 referal) She went into another speech about why kids like H. Riley need to have this automatically. No fighting involved.. I am amazed at how things are falling into place for her.

We had an appointment with the pediatrician to start getting the letters that we know will be needed to get the one on one for her. And while we were there we discovered that our "big girl panties" campaign has failed. She has her fourth yeast infection of the summer. So Dr.Sue has said that until she can control the dribble and keep her panties dry she will continue to get yeast infections and suggested that we go back to pull ups. Then she agreed to get the letter writtten ASAP! one down three to go.

Then it was time to come home and do homework.. not so great. She actually has spelling words, which is a little over the top and the 2 math worksheets sent her over the edge. Heather Ri is comming from a class that was more like a babysitting service than school. She struggled through as much as we could, the rest is in her folder.

Her first day of school behavior report she got a 1, I thought a one was good until Robert pointed out that a 1 means "unsatisfactory"

My next worry is that this class is to high functioning for her. Even if she ends up being moved I am amazed and comforted by the level of care and cooperation that we have met as we transitioned her to this new school system.

Carly'sMa
08-25-2008, 09:54 PM
If her behavior wasn't satisfactory, that may make more of a case for the 1:1.

Also, the homework should be modified so that she can do it. But, they may be trying to test her abilities right now.

Hopefully, she will get the support she needs.

WorkinMom
08-26-2008, 05:50 AM
Sounds like they are getting ready for Riley to have a successful year. :) I agree with Deborah - they are probably just seeing what levels the kids are on. Once she would get the 1:1 it will be part of their job to modify all her work. I'd write a little note and let the teacher know that you plan to modify the amount of homework until a 1:1 is placed. (ie - a page of math problems - she'll do 5, 20 spelling words she'll do 5) Bad experiences with homework can really be a turnoff for school. I wouldn't start the year off that way.

We use to sing the letters in the spelling words. For some reason it really helped Drew remember.

Take care

Denae
08-26-2008, 09:12 AM
She has modified work- there were olnly 3 spelling words "cab" tab" and "crab" she was supposed to write them 3x each along with two math worksheets, the first one was writing the number 1, then writing the number word "one" several times. The second was the same, just the number 2.

The more I thought about it last night the more I realized that this is what we faced last year when she spent time in the regular ed second grade class for specials and the exact reason we moved her to a first grade class, she just doesn't do well with a lot of noise and confusion not enough adult supervision. She needs direct one on one guidance. Which you all are right, will support the need for the one on one support. Sending her to a first grade class is not optional this year like last year.

Her dad and I actually took some time last night and looked at the other school options for her and if this doesn't work out there is one other school that might be a better match for her, but it is a seperate school- no typical peers and we do still want her to have the typical peer interaction, but at a level she can handle.

We will see how today goes- she was happy and still excited about going this morning, which is a good sign.

Guitarmom
08-28-2008, 09:22 AM
I hope you can get her settled in ok!! I love how the nurse wants to get her help!!

Hang in there!! Change is so hard!

(((Denae)))
Ginny