Spent Thursday night wrapping presents....
And shoveling snow again.
However we have made a decision.
Is 5th Grade too early to be "sick of school" and to "hate school"? We think so.
Alex is going to private school next year. Although the schools we are a part of are great schools for the students at large we feel very strongly that the elementary school has failed him despite our best attempts to work with them. This School District has raised its test scores every year, and done admirably in getting kids into College. However it has shown itself completely unable to keep track of our son and his needs. Alex needs to be in a environment where 1) the children are on a more level intellectual playing field, and 2) where he can get the personal attention he needs.
Not every child needs this type of attention. Our son does.
Every Parent thinks that his or her child is special. Every parent might even think that his or her child is “so bright”. I don’t think it, I know it.
Alex has a very dangerous combination. Alex shows a very volatile combination of traits: lack of discipline, immaturity relative to his age group, and a very high intellect. Time and time again this combination has led to educational disasters in other children.
I have wished and prayed and tried to help him get more disciplined and to grow up a bit these last three years, but he seems behind the curve every year. I have wished and prayed and tried to help him become a self starter, and be more responsible for his life. Perhaps we have failed him in some way in that regard, but children do not come with manuals and we are at least deserving of an E for effort.
It is my strong believe that this constellation of characteristics that our son shows will without a doubt lead to dropping out of HS at the worst and certainly not going on to College if he does not get some outside guidance.
In the last four years only one of his teachers has inspired Alex to love school. His 3rd and 5th grade teachers have been particularly heinous. Last year we went through a battery of tests for Alex (even getting that done, which is right we have as his parents under NY laws was like pulling teeth). We discovered no overwhelming learning disabilities (like dyslexia) or physical problems (like fine motor skill issues) but simply an overall constellation of issues that needed to be addressed.
Don't you think that if the School District had to pay for these tests then this year's teachers(s) would show even a modicum of interest in this? Well I was simply aghast to find out that she had not even opened his file when we had our Parent Teach Conference in November.
So with the meltdowns and such, and the obvious disinterest in him as a student, we have hit the wall with this Public School. MW is a consultant to the La Sallian schools across the nation and we are hoping that the local LaSalle is part of that system. Regardless we are going to try to get him in there next year.
QOTD:The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it.
-- George Bernard Shaw
OBCD recently: Moody Blues show from the day after I saw them. I remastered it from a cassette. Pity it's not tradable, its a great show.
Now reading: This Town Will Never Let Us Go - Lawrence Miles (First Faction Paradox novel)
And shoveling snow again.
However we have made a decision.
Is 5th Grade too early to be "sick of school" and to "hate school"? We think so.
Alex is going to private school next year. Although the schools we are a part of are great schools for the students at large we feel very strongly that the elementary school has failed him despite our best attempts to work with them. This School District has raised its test scores every year, and done admirably in getting kids into College. However it has shown itself completely unable to keep track of our son and his needs. Alex needs to be in a environment where 1) the children are on a more level intellectual playing field, and 2) where he can get the personal attention he needs.
Not every child needs this type of attention. Our son does.
Every Parent thinks that his or her child is special. Every parent might even think that his or her child is “so bright”. I don’t think it, I know it.
Alex has a very dangerous combination. Alex shows a very volatile combination of traits: lack of discipline, immaturity relative to his age group, and a very high intellect. Time and time again this combination has led to educational disasters in other children.
I have wished and prayed and tried to help him get more disciplined and to grow up a bit these last three years, but he seems behind the curve every year. I have wished and prayed and tried to help him become a self starter, and be more responsible for his life. Perhaps we have failed him in some way in that regard, but children do not come with manuals and we are at least deserving of an E for effort.
It is my strong believe that this constellation of characteristics that our son shows will without a doubt lead to dropping out of HS at the worst and certainly not going on to College if he does not get some outside guidance.
In the last four years only one of his teachers has inspired Alex to love school. His 3rd and 5th grade teachers have been particularly heinous. Last year we went through a battery of tests for Alex (even getting that done, which is right we have as his parents under NY laws was like pulling teeth). We discovered no overwhelming learning disabilities (like dyslexia) or physical problems (like fine motor skill issues) but simply an overall constellation of issues that needed to be addressed.
Don't you think that if the School District had to pay for these tests then this year's teachers(s) would show even a modicum of interest in this? Well I was simply aghast to find out that she had not even opened his file when we had our Parent Teach Conference in November.
So with the meltdowns and such, and the obvious disinterest in him as a student, we have hit the wall with this Public School. MW is a consultant to the La Sallian schools across the nation and we are hoping that the local LaSalle is part of that system. Regardless we are going to try to get him in there next year.
QOTD:The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it.
-- George Bernard Shaw
OBCD recently: Moody Blues show from the day after I saw them. I remastered it from a cassette. Pity it's not tradable, its a great show.
Now reading: This Town Will Never Let Us Go - Lawrence Miles (First Faction Paradox novel)
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