Out of the Mouth of Matt

So, Matthew had another hilarious interaction with a Lodi police officer who was patrolling their school for afternoon dismissal. As soon as he saw the patrol car in the parking lot across from the school, Matthew quickly ran to the window of the car. I was a little further back from where Matt was when the officer rolled his window down to say hello. The words that came out of his mouth, made my mouth drop....."Did you shoot any bad guys last night?" Fortunately, it was an officer with a sense of humor who laughed as he said "no". Matt didn't even pause to think, he immediately asked "did you shoot any bad guys this morning?" Thankfully, the officer laughed again as I explained to Matt that the police don't shoot the bad guys, they take them to jail. All I could think is that this officer must think we have a child obsessed with shooting people. Of course, he is 4 so a lot of remarks are "forgiven". Anyone I told this story to thought it was hilarious and knowing Matt, they were like "that is so Matt". So, now when we go for afternoon dismissal I am never quite sure if I want Matt to see the police officer there...who knows what he'll say next....then too it could merit another blog entry.

Student of the Month

We were thrilled when we received a postcard last Saturday notifying us that Emily was chosen as student of the month for her 1st grade class. She has been working so very hard and this is true recognition of all of that work. Emily has noticed how much work there is to be done and how long the school day is. Last year in her special ed class, I know that there was more "down" time throughout the day...now there is very little if at any down time. Emily is adjusting well though...however, by Thursday morning, she is itching for the weekend to come. We have been in touch with her previous teacher, Miss Lisa, letting her know how well she is doing. They are all so proud of her accomplishments. Emily holds a special place in Miss Lisa's heart. So, congratulations Emily at all your hard work. We are all very proud of you!

100% Confident

So, after the ups and downs of the school week, I wasn't quite sure what would be in store for the year to come. Yes, I know it is only 3 weeks into school and that Emily is still in adjustment mode but as a mom you are always concerned for your child's well being and happiness. Well, the time had come to see how the last two weeks have gone in regard to Emily's performance in her actual school work. We were advised at the beginning of school that every 2 weeks the kids would bring home a folder known as the "test folder". The folder contains all the test materials that have occurred in the 2 week period. The tests are to be looked at and returned with a signature on the folder. If a test is a 69 or less, an incomplete, unsatisfactory, etc. the parent has to sign the actual test. When we got home, I pulled all the work from her backpack including the folder. Emily informed me that I can look inside but can't keep anything, it has to go back to the teacher - I was happy to hear that not only Emily heard the directions but also could relay them to me...another area where she is progressing. So, I waited for a while to open the folder. Prior to opening, I told myself not to have unrealistic expectations - even though she did 1st grade material last year it is being introduced in a whole new approach and that has to be taken into consideration. I knew that anything I had to sign I would assure her that all we are looking for is that she does her best and we would go over what she didn't know so she would know it for the next time. So, I opened the folder and was shocked...I looked at every test including the spelling test she did that day which had to include the vowel control next to the word. By the time, I looked at the last test the smile on my face was hurting my face. Every test was 100% and two tests actually had extra point credits of 2 and 5. My questioning from this week was quickly laid to rest. I was so excited at how she did and I knew Dave wouldn't be home until late so I called him at work and told him...he was very happy too! It wasn't until later that night that I reviewed her tests with her and showed her that everything she did was correct....she wasn't as thrilled as her dad and I were, she was more matter of fact "okay". Her performance is definitely an encouragement to both Dave and I. Earlier in the week her teacher did express to me that if she didn't have an IEP in hand for Emily she never would have thought she needed one - she also relayed this to her Child Study Team case worker. Her tests are proof to us that the direction we have chosen for her to proceed in her educational experience was the right decision. Do we expect all 100's the rest of the year? NO...only her best. But we are encouraged that she is grasping what and how she is being taught. Way to go Emily...keep doing your best!

No Worries Tiger!

One family outing we have started doing this year is playing miniature golf. While on vacation in Williamsburg, we decided to go to a local mini golf course. We took our friends daughter, Kailey, with us and the girls had a lot of fun together. The most amusing part of golfing however, is how our little Matt "plays" the game. He takes the first shot, may hit the ball a second time but will usually pick it up and move it closer to the hole, if not put it directly into the hole. His shots close to the hole are more like watching a hockey game than a golf event. Matt holds his iron tight and drags the ball to the hole. So, Tiger Woods you don't have to worry about any of your records being broken by our son. However, all hockey pros watch out....this boy has pure determination. Although once Matt sees a Zamboni, he may decide he just wants to drive around the ice arena.

A Little Adjusting

This week was the first full week of school for Emily. She has been doing really well in transitioning to the new school, teacher and class...or, so I thought. On Wednesday morning while walking down to school, Emily said she was wanting to see her teacher. I asked her if she liked Ms. Palummerie and she said "she's okay". I said I thought she really liked her because she talks about her a lot. Emily told me that she yells. I knew that what Emily considered as yelling was the teacher calling out kids on their behavior when they were not doing what they were suppose to be (I heard her talking to several kids parents after school regarding focus issues). I asked Emily if she ever "yelled" at her and she said "No, she yells at Christopher". I told Emily she needs to encourage him to do his work. As we kept walking, she asked if I could get her before I get Matt and I said that she goes to school till 3 and that I would pick her up then. She got in her class line and seemed okay. I talked to the teacher after school and she said Emily was perfectly fine that day. I explained the conversation we had on the way to school. I mentioned the yelling and we clarified to Emily that the "yelling" is only directed at the kids not doing their work. The teacher also mentioned that several kids in the class were sent home sick so they were leaving early from class, she thought that may be why Emily wanted to leave early. Ms. Palumerie also told me that did she not have an IEP in hand for Emily she wouldn't even know that she needed one based on what she has seen so far - that was encouraging to hear. All seemed well with the world until the next morning. We were walking from the car to school and Emily asked again if I could get her early and I asked her why to which she told me she didn't want to go to school today. I asked her again why, she said something to the effect that she didn't want to work. I told her going to school was important so she can learn. She told me she missed me and I told her maybe we could put a picture in her backpack so she could look at it when she missed me. She said okay but as we kept walking her face got poutier. As we got in the gate, I asked for a kiss and saw a tear in her eye, I asked why she was crying and she didn't really answer. I reassured her again that school would be fun and that I would be there to pick her up. I watched her go into school and the look on her face was not a happy one. After school, I asked how she was and the teacher said she noticed Emily was "off" in the morning. She usually comes in very happy and ready to work. The teacher told me though that at lunch she was crying "hysterically" per another worker. Ms. Palummerie took Emily aside and asked her why she was crying and Emily told her that the student patrol girl wasn't there. Her teacher explained that the girl was out sick. Emily then told her she missed me. Her teacher told me that she told Emily we can miss our moms in first grade but we don't need to cry. She told her that mom and dad send her to school to learn and that I'll be there to pick her up at the end of the day. According to her teacher, after their talk, Emily was her old self the rest of the day. We spoke to Emily together and her teacher agreed to let her put a picture of us in her folder that she could look at if she was missing me but it was their little secret that it is in there. At home, Emily and I had a good talk about what happened and she was ready to go to school the next day. Her day today was excellent and she was back to her old self...even telling me on the walk to school - there is no reason for crying. I really like how her teacher handled the situation. She is firm and factual but kind......something Emily needs. This is the exact reason we wanted Emily to repeat 1st grade in general ed. So, she can adjust to the true dynamics and situations that arise in the classroom and at the same time adjust to the "true" workload of general ed 1st grade curriculum. We are really proud of how well she has done so far and only one real "meltdown" so far is great considering all the changes she has encountered. Keep up the good work Emily!