Jeannie in NJ
08-14-2008, 10:31 AM
I have always homeschooled both of my children but last year was starting to get tough with my son, just turned 11. He is extremely friendly and sociable but is quite delayed with school (he was born with several birth defects). Anyway he was really wanting to go to school so yesterday we went to the orientation at the middle school. There are about 80 students in each grade at the school for grades 4 thru 8. THe 4th and 5th grader plus the special ed kids are all located in one section of the school and the 6th thru 8th graders in another section (they are kept seperated, even dropped off by the bus at different entrances).
Anyway, ds will be in a self-contained class for combined 4th and 5th graders, there are 13 kids and the teacher and 3 aides. His teacher was not able to be there yesterday but I met 2 of the aides plus the teacher for the 6th thru 8th grades special ed class. They all have so much patience plus really seem to care about the students. Also one good note, when I introduced myself to the the principal, she immediatly knew who I was, who my son, what class he was in, etc. She seemed very approachable. Also it turns out that my dh and my ds know some of the male teachers from meeting them at the beach.
ONe last thing, my son eventho he is very sociable had never been able to have friends his own age. All adults and teenages (both boys and girls just adore him) but kids his own age see him as too "different" and don't want to be friends with him. Well yesterday at the school, he met all of the other special ed kids and they accepted him completely and he was playing basketball with them. When we got home, he was so excited that as he said it, now he has friends his own age! Last year, when he played hockey it was with the teenagers (I am so grateful to all the teenagers that have always been so great with him).
My dd will still be homeschooled , she is 14 and wants to graduate early and start college at 16 so we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, ds will be in a self-contained class for combined 4th and 5th graders, there are 13 kids and the teacher and 3 aides. His teacher was not able to be there yesterday but I met 2 of the aides plus the teacher for the 6th thru 8th grades special ed class. They all have so much patience plus really seem to care about the students. Also one good note, when I introduced myself to the the principal, she immediatly knew who I was, who my son, what class he was in, etc. She seemed very approachable. Also it turns out that my dh and my ds know some of the male teachers from meeting them at the beach.
ONe last thing, my son eventho he is very sociable had never been able to have friends his own age. All adults and teenages (both boys and girls just adore him) but kids his own age see him as too "different" and don't want to be friends with him. Well yesterday at the school, he met all of the other special ed kids and they accepted him completely and he was playing basketball with them. When we got home, he was so excited that as he said it, now he has friends his own age! Last year, when he played hockey it was with the teenagers (I am so grateful to all the teenagers that have always been so great with him).
My dd will still be homeschooled , she is 14 and wants to graduate early and start college at 16 so we'll see how that goes.