Hello folks. I bet you didn't expect to see me here at this late hour...well it's late for me the morning lark. I've been busy, busy, busy...I have been re-editing a children's story that my sister and I wrote. This is the part of the writing process that I hate. The "We like but could you..." Those 'could yous' can take a lifetime and then they'll decide that "it's just not a right time for us". Arrgh.
Today did not start out well. I went on my morning walk with Lightning, which is more like a full run with him. As he lunging down the street, I wave at a neighbor and fell flat on my face. Well, not literally, actually I fell flat on my knees and have 2 nasty wounds to prove it. The edge of the aphsalt was cracked and it gave way when I pivoted my foot. Rest assured every muscle from the L5 region of my back down to my feet are sore.
Then, around 1p.m. I received a call from the middle school where Jessica attends. They asked could I please come and get her and no she is not sick. Apparently, the stress that she has felt for the past 6 wks came to a peak this afternoon. She was hysterical for over an hour before her aide told the secretary to call me.
The problem is all the schoolwork especially what is called 'bellwork'. Bellwork, for old timers like me, is busy work concerning the present course of study at the beginning of class. Unfortunately it also happens to be all writing and lots of it. The one thing that Jessica has the most problem with. It takes Jessica the whole 40 min. to complete the bellwork and has missed that day's lesson in the process..and then the bell rings to transfer class. That increases her anxiety. And, of course, since she can't complete the work in school she has to bring it home. She spends, on a nightly basis, from 3:30-11 doing this work.
I don't blame her for falling apart. I even e-mailed her Science teacher and told her that Jessica was not doing the assignment. She was to write a story of what it would be like to be the size of an atom. Don't think so.
I've requested that Jessica's ARD meeting be moved up because of this situation but they ain't exactly returning those phone calls in an expediant fashion. Even Gary is ticked off. We visited their open house last night and were not happy at what we saw or learned. English and math teacher(one in the same) is giving her work that a kindergartner would do; her social studies teacher was attempting to give her the answers to the tests and her science teacher cared so little that she didn't even bother to show up.
I've have talked to these people until I'm blue in the face but nobody listens and just does what they want instead of what is the best for Jessica. So many times I wanted to spout off about how I knew that she would have been better in homeschool but I've kept my mouth shut. Believe me when I'm peeved that's a pretty hard thing for me to do!
Both Gary and I have decided that she needs to be transferred to the 5th grade. Unfortunately that means being transferred to a different physical school(intermediate instead of middle) and the ARD people will fight us tooth or nail. OH WELL.
If her anxiety level is this high and she is this overstimulated something has to be done now..not another 6 weeks from now.
Wish me luck because the next few days should be interesting.
Nothing But Love
| 
