AHHHHHHHH, maybe I am overreacting but

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Registered: 03-26-2003
AHHHHHHHH, maybe I am overreacting but
9
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 11:58am

I am now sooooooooooo nervous about Caits school due to some changes I have found out about today.

1. She will not go to the SDC class for her first class. Rather she will wait in the quad (where all the kids wait in the AM) then go directly to her first period class. She was supposed to go to SDC first and get all her things together and get prepped. Now she will have to go one her own an hour after leaving home and be expected to be prepared and do well. She won't have SDC until 3rd period and her last period.

2. There are 7 new teachers hired for the 6th grade meaning it is very likely that she has new teachers for her mainstream classes. They were supposed to hand pick her teachers.

3. She will be dropped off from the bus and WAITING IN THE QUAD!!!!!. Ok, Cait around all those middle schoolers without extra supervision makes me absolutely crazy. She will either be bullied, teased, used by older boys, or get lost.

I just wrote her teacher a long email. I hope to hear from her soon.

Renee

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Registered: 02-24-2004
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 12:09pm

Renee,

Sorry to hear things have changed from what you had anticipated! It's funny though, because I just had a dream lastnight, about Nathan. I won't go into details, but when I woke up, I realized that it's probably due to my fear of 1st grade starting---AND EVERYTHING NOT BEING LIKE WE HAD DISCUSSED IN THE SPRING!!!!!!

Sometimes I wonder what the point is, having an IEP. The schools seem to change things all the time. You literally have to watch them like a hawk!!!! Let's hope that your email gets the ball rolling in your favor!!!

School doesn't start here til Aug 30th. So I have at least a couple of weeks before I have to QUESTION AND INTERROGATE Nathan's 1st grade teacher!!! Good luck, let us know what her teacher says!!

Michelle

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Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 12:27pm

Ok-first take a deep breath! Is there anyway that you can set it up that she goes to the SDC teacherin the mornings instead of waiting in the quad? That way she can prepare her and get he things together. At Jake school they goto homeroom when they gwt there and then to first period. He usually checks in with his Austism teacher before he goes to homeroom. He also will check in with her at the end of the day and she checks on him throughout the day.

Just breathe deep and have confidence that Cait will be ok. See if they can't met her when she gets off the bus and let her wait with them, I don't think that is too much to ask.

((BIG HUGS))

Liza

Avatar for betz67
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 12:28pm

((((HUGS)))) yikes! that does not sound like a good thing AT ALL! hoping her teacher can come up w/ a solution/compromise on that whole senario!

Betsy

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Registered: 10-24-2003
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 2:13pm

Well, none of that would fly with me given Jake's needs.


1. She will not go to the SDC class for her first class. Rather she will wait in the quad (where all the kids wait in the AM) then go directly to her first period class. She was supposed to go to SDC first and get all her things together and get prepped. Now she will have to go one her own an hour after leaving home and be expected to be prepared and do well. She won't have SDC until 3rd period and her last period.


Wow, this seems to expect an awful lot of independence.

Pat

Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. --

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 2:43pm

Thanks all,

Pat, those are exactly my fears and what I wrote in my email to the teacher. No she absolutely cannot get to her first 3 classes alone. She has not shown this level of independence. Heck at school she has consistently misplaced herself at least 3 times each year. Each year gets better but this is just returning to her regular class after lunch in elementary school. how the heck is she going to make it between 8 classes? She couldn't even make one transition last year from her regular 5th grade to a different class for Math. They had to change it to being in one class and that was elementary school where they all walked in a line together.

But I definitely think the teacher will take me seriously as Cait left 6th grade orientation crying. She held it together until she saw me and then fell apart. Her teacher and the teacher that Cait was with for the day both saw it and came over. I wasn't able to get Cait to tell us what was wrong then, but did get the chance to tell the teacher I had concerns, I had written an email and would like to be able to discuss it with her.

Cait got significantly hugged and spoiled at home. She is much better and happy now, but she is not as ready for middle school as they like to think.

Renee

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Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 08-09-2005 - 2:49pm

Oh, poor Cait! That makes me just want to tear up myself. They expect so much from children nowadays. I will keep y'all in my thought and prayers that everything works out.

((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Liza

Avatar for maresgood
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Sun, 08-14-2005 - 2:32pm
Hi Renee, Sorry this post is late but I've been lurking & catching up. I feel for Cait & also for you. Middle school is such a scary transition. It takes a while to establish a routine. Ask the school for a guide to shadow Cait. She qualifies for that. She should not be sitting alone in the quad waiting for classes to start. See if she can go sit in the counselors office, they should accomodate you. Sarah was so stressed last year before middle school started, I don't think she slept for weeks! She gets off the bus & also waits in the quad (usually by herself) until a friend arrives. She only had 2 or 3 "friends" last year & there were issues that came up but thats a whole other story... Cait will meet kids in SDC. Sarah met some in Resource. Make sure the SDC teacher finds her a buddy to eat lunch with. Sarah would go up to kids sitting alone & ask if they wanted to sit w/her little group. My kid has a big heart. Good luck & keep us posted. Take Care~ Mary Ann
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Registered: 12-24-2004
Mon, 08-15-2005 - 4:57am

Renee,

What a nightmare for poor Cait! I agree with the aide/shadow idea, since they can't fix her schedule for morning. Your victimization fears for her are very real. So much can happen in a crowded unsupervised environment with Middle Schoolers. If this kind of scheduling thing happened to Cassian, I would probably be seriously thinking of homeschooling, but I know you don't want to go that route. Please do let us know what happens with this.

Suzi

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2003
Mon, 08-15-2005 - 7:42pm

((((Cait))))

~ Chelsea