So today I met with a team of people at Ferguson Township Elementary (where I attended school) to see what it would take to place Johnny there for kindergarten and find out what kind of help I could get for him. I still plan on meeting with Easterly Parkway Elementary as well, but I have to say that I was quite impressed with what Ferguson has to offer!
I met with the principal, Charlotte Zmyslo, the Learning Enrichment teacher, Diane Reed, and the Autistic Support teacher, Keri Hewitt. (Mary was along for the ride, and we got a brief chance to chat about our impressions afterward!) I feel that it was a really productive meeting, and came away with the impression that if I decide to go with Ferguson, Johnny will be looked at as an individual and addressed on his own level in each aspect of his education. They talked about how they have a lot of different kids dealing with the same issue of being very advanced in one or two areas and a bit behind in others. Johnny would be given the chance to learn with the rest of a class but also be challenged if he is finding assignments too simple. One of their current kindergartners attends a second grade math session throughout the week in order to meet his educational needs, but stays the rest of the day in the correct grade with peers his own age who can help him with emotional and behavioral growth. The school sounds like it has changed in more ways than just the recent renovation and building addition.
As silly as it sounds, I think I will have a harder time with Johnny's transition into the school district than Johnny will. At least for the first month and a half or so, Johnny will just be in a daze, extremely excited about the new adventure. I'm not even all that worried about the start of the school year, because I feel like he handles that initial change quite well. What has me stressing is the question of what things will be like after Johnny settles in more and the bright, sparkly, shiny part of kindergarten wears off. I find that I even have more confidence in his first year of school than I do the rest of his elementary career. While my first few years of school I only noticed that I was a little more advanced than the other students, (I was the only kindergartner reading novels and I didn't understand why the other kids didn't have similar literary interests) it was during my mid-elementary years that I began to realize just how different I was from the other students. My hope for Johnny is that when that moment comes, it isn't something that ends up defining him. I was very alienated as a child, and I don't want that to happen to my son. However, it sounds like Ferguson has found a great way to accommodate such children. In addition to this, they have made it so that kids can take friends with them to the Autistic Support room, which has turned what used to (when I was in school) be viewed as the derogatory exercise for the "Special Ed Kid" into an extra opportunity for fun. Keri said that other students literally beg for a turn to go along with her kids.
You know, I walked away from the meeting just feeling as though the people who would be working with Johnny actually enjoy their jobs and are excited to collaborate not only with one another but with me as well. Charlotte told me that whatever reward systems or coping methods we already have in place can be carried over into the classroom in order to help Johnny transition more smoothly and keep his rules consistent. I really appreciate that they want to make an effort to include the methods that we have worked so hard on at home. She also assured me that I could have a brief email from the teacher each day, similar to the report I get from Autumn. (Really, I just ask for a short paragraph telling me about any problems during the day and any successes! Four or five sentences and I'm thrilled!) Anyway, I feel as though a weight has been lifted off of me. Easterly Parkway might be even better or it may not quite live up to Ferguson, but I now know that either way, there is a great elementary school in our district for Johnny.
I'll keep y'all posted as I learn more about Easterly Parkway!
I met with the principal, Charlotte Zmyslo, the Learning Enrichment teacher, Diane Reed, and the Autistic Support teacher, Keri Hewitt. (Mary was along for the ride, and we got a brief chance to chat about our impressions afterward!) I feel that it was a really productive meeting, and came away with the impression that if I decide to go with Ferguson, Johnny will be looked at as an individual and addressed on his own level in each aspect of his education. They talked about how they have a lot of different kids dealing with the same issue of being very advanced in one or two areas and a bit behind in others. Johnny would be given the chance to learn with the rest of a class but also be challenged if he is finding assignments too simple. One of their current kindergartners attends a second grade math session throughout the week in order to meet his educational needs, but stays the rest of the day in the correct grade with peers his own age who can help him with emotional and behavioral growth. The school sounds like it has changed in more ways than just the recent renovation and building addition.
As silly as it sounds, I think I will have a harder time with Johnny's transition into the school district than Johnny will. At least for the first month and a half or so, Johnny will just be in a daze, extremely excited about the new adventure. I'm not even all that worried about the start of the school year, because I feel like he handles that initial change quite well. What has me stressing is the question of what things will be like after Johnny settles in more and the bright, sparkly, shiny part of kindergarten wears off. I find that I even have more confidence in his first year of school than I do the rest of his elementary career. While my first few years of school I only noticed that I was a little more advanced than the other students, (I was the only kindergartner reading novels and I didn't understand why the other kids didn't have similar literary interests) it was during my mid-elementary years that I began to realize just how different I was from the other students. My hope for Johnny is that when that moment comes, it isn't something that ends up defining him. I was very alienated as a child, and I don't want that to happen to my son. However, it sounds like Ferguson has found a great way to accommodate such children. In addition to this, they have made it so that kids can take friends with them to the Autistic Support room, which has turned what used to (when I was in school) be viewed as the derogatory exercise for the "Special Ed Kid" into an extra opportunity for fun. Keri said that other students literally beg for a turn to go along with her kids.
You know, I walked away from the meeting just feeling as though the people who would be working with Johnny actually enjoy their jobs and are excited to collaborate not only with one another but with me as well. Charlotte told me that whatever reward systems or coping methods we already have in place can be carried over into the classroom in order to help Johnny transition more smoothly and keep his rules consistent. I really appreciate that they want to make an effort to include the methods that we have worked so hard on at home. She also assured me that I could have a brief email from the teacher each day, similar to the report I get from Autumn. (Really, I just ask for a short paragraph telling me about any problems during the day and any successes! Four or five sentences and I'm thrilled!) Anyway, I feel as though a weight has been lifted off of me. Easterly Parkway might be even better or it may not quite live up to Ferguson, but I now know that either way, there is a great elementary school in our district for Johnny.
I'll keep y'all posted as I learn more about Easterly Parkway!
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