My Wise And Wonderful Princess

I cannot even begin to tell you how my heart runneth over today... with pride for my Princess.

As I had written in the post titled Princess And Her Middle School Momentum, my daughter has had some struggles in this "tweenie" stage of education.  But things had been looking up.  We were quite hopeful... until...  

For the last several weeks, she has come home from school with tears in her eyes and proclamations of how horrible her day had been.  She has been struggling with a particular assignment, handed out bi-weekly, by her English teacher.  Low grades on this assignment have brought down her overall grade, thus causing her great disappointment and frustration.  But come to find out, the grades have not been the only source of her torment.  It turned out that this teacher has had some very unprofessional things to say to my daughter that, in my opinion, are nothing short of bullying.  Telling her that (and I quote) "Children who are just now coming into this country are getting better scores than you.", and making a snide comment about her "work ethic".

Now, if my daughter were a lazy student, and wasn't even trying to contribute, I wouldn't have been so upset.  But this child has been a straight A student in every subject, throughout all seven years of elementary school (that includes pre-k).  She has always been praised by students and faculty alike for her level of respect and her friendly demeanor.  She does her homework nightly, she studies for tests, she is a voracious reader, and she is often online brushing up on her math skills through the site, Kahn Academy.  She does not deserve to be criticized in this manner, and so I wrote an email to the school psychologist with my complaint about this teacher's highly unprofessional attitude toward her student.  To quote Pink Floyd (which is quite an odd thing for me to do)... we don't need no dark sarcasm in the classroom.

Well, several things have happened since that day.  First, I have tutored my daughter in this particular bi-weekly homework assignment, and her grades have improved.  I have not heard back from the counselor, but the teacher has not had a single nasty thing to say since.  And then...

--Princess came home today and told me, in a very casual passing, "I gave Ms. So-and-So a hug today."  

--I responded with a very inquisitive, "Why??"

--"Because today is the last day of school before Winter break, and when we go back in 2014, I want her and I to start on a fresh clean slate."

Hallelujah!  Could she have been any more wise and wonderful in that moment?  I think not!  I wrapped my arms around her and showered her with much deserved praise.  Alas, someone has been paying attention to the lessons I have been spewing all these years!  I am vindicated! 

Princess And Her Middle School Momentum

Last year was the first year of middle school for my little Princess, and it was NOT all that she thought it would be. It was horrible, the biggest let down of her life. After seven years (Pre-K included) of being every teacher's "pet", she was suddenly stuck with seven "mean" teaches all at once. After seven years of perfect report cards, her grades began a steady downhill slide, stopping at the lowest acceptable level. The work was unexpectedly difficult, and she had a hard time keeping up. It was so sad to see her struggling that way but all I could do was help her to study, and encourage her, reassure her that as long as she was trying her best, then she wasn't letting us down.

Princess spent the summer begging to be home schooled like her older sister. Of course I simply cannot appease her. Princess does not have Punkin's behavioral issues. Princess has every potential of making it through the school system with flying colors, and earning scholarships to higher education. There are weighted courses, challenges, and experiences that I cannot offer her the way our local schools can. Although I did look into a few online schools, it proved to not be a viable option, either because the school was not acceptable by our state, or was simply waaay too expensive. She was very disappointed, needless to say.  

When summer ended, she found it rather difficult to be hopeful, and not jaded by last year's struggles, but we kept reminding her of the experience that she now had under her belt, and that there would be new opportunities available as a seventh grader, than as a sixth. So, she gave it a chance, as if she had another choice.

Well, we now sit at two and half weeks into the year, and she couldn't be more thrilled with it. She adores her four core teachers, and all but one of the electives. She was accepted into chorus. She's joined the Chess Club. She's got a firm grasp of the algebra (so far), and she's having no trouble keeping up with the reading list. Her social life is in full swing, with get togethers and sleepovers. Everyday when I ask how it went, she replies "Awesome!".

Yesterday she came home with some news that made my heart and my eyes spill over. After passing an assessment exam with a perfect score, she was promoted to the Academically Gifted Language Arts class. She received a perfect score on her Social Studies poster board project (plus extra credit for turning it in early). And she passed her first Science test with more than a hundred percent.

Fingers crossed that we can keep the momentum going strong!

     

Home School is Like Playing School

When I was a little girl, I loved to play school with my neighborhood friends, or my cousin, or my little sister.  We went all out with it too... paper, pencils, and a long pointing stick for tapping at math problems on the large rolling chalkboard.  Some of us fifth and sixth graders would save old workbooks and collect extra handouts throughout the year, so that we could play some serious school with the kinder-kids over the summer break.  We would even make up permission slips for parents to sign, so that we could take the tots on a "field trip" to the local playground, or on a picnic.

As my grade levels increased, what we once referred to as "playing school", was relabeled "tutoring".  And of course, as the years marched on and my own kiddies came along, it was again renamed to "helping with the homework".

Now, in my middle age, there's a new term for it.  Home School.  And it is some serious $h!t.  I actually filed papers with the state of North Carolina, who in turn legalized my school with a registration number.  My home is now the SNB Academy, and has an enrollment of one ninth grade student.  I get to download and print lesson plans, or pre-made worksheets on any subjects I choose.  In fact, I even get to choose the subjects; the entire curriculum, for that matter.  Even though the state regulations are few, I am attempting to follow as closely as I can to the manner of our local high school, in their "block scheduling".  Each semester carries only four classes, but each class must have 130-150 hours of instruction.

Every day that we conduct some sort of educational activity, I make a mark in the attendance log.  I teach three to four subjects a day, for extended periods.  In fact, Punkin and I skipped English altogether yesterday, because we had an extended four hour Civics lesson.  We're only doing about three hours a week of P.E. (at the gym), but that's because I'm waiting for warmer weather.  Spring means hiking and paddle boating.  Summer mean swimming.  It's all counts for credit.

Credit opportunities seem to be everywhere.  When a friend of ours recently offered my girls horseback riding lessons, the first thing I did was figure out how I could turn them into a course credit.  It has since become the Equine Sciences course.  Whenever we go out to the farm, my student will rack up time with the animals.  She'll have care and grooming lessons from the owner, she'll get behavioral studies from learning to ride, and she can shadow the vet on regular checkups.  On days when we're not at the farm, we're watching Discovery Channel and National Geographic videos on the evolution and history of the modern horse.  We're printing and studying skeletal, digestion and reproduction charts and photos. 

And that's how it's done.  Home schooling has turned out to be easier than I expected, and we're getting so much more out of it, than public school.  By teaching to her, on her level, in the best manner for her learning abilities, we're finding a level of productivity that she's rarely experienced before.  Not only that, but her levels of anxiety, and impulsiveness are down.  She's helping out more around the house, and ... well, she's maturing.  We should have done this years ago.

           

Mama Becomes A Home School Teacher

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Ringmaster's Family Circus is proud to present

a stunt that has never before been attempted under this big top!

Keep your eyes on the center ring

to see the amazing metamorphosis of

The Ringmaster Mama,

from family manager to home school administrator.

Watch closely

as The Ringmaster attempts to

wrestle and wrangle,

constrain and control

the wild and willful

Punkin!

Armed with nothing more than

my own wits

and every available technology,

I will take her from

Disobedient, Disrespectful, Disinterested,

(and "dis" close to becoming a ward of the Dept of Juvenile Justice)

to

Motivated, Educated, and Inspired.

Make sure you've got your popcorn,

and prepare to be dazzled!

The Bittersweet of This First Day of School

Today is a very special day for our household.  Not only is it the first day of school, but it the very first day of Middle School for my youngest baby, The Princess.  She's such a small girl, having Turner Syndrome, that it's easy to see her as much younger than she is.  But I guess it's time for me to let go of her hand, and let her grow up.  Punkin, my teenager, has spent the whole summer continuing to grow and mature, gathering good friends, and preparing for the tenth grade.  (Now, she was technically held back in the 9th grade, but if she pulls it together and makes up certain credits, then she may be able to advance in the second semester).  I'm very proud and excited for both of them today!

Now, on to my top ten list of why I have been waiting for the first day of the 2012 school year.  From this day forward, or at least until next June...

(01)  When I clean an item... a bathtub, or the dining room table, it will stay clean for hours on end.

(02)  If I straighten an entire room, I can enjoy the stress free, organized neatness all throughout the day.

(03)  I will no longer be bothered by the constant buzzing of an argument, or the pitter patter of a spontaneous slap fight.

(04)  My children will be rising with the sun, sometimes even a whole half an hour before I do!

(05)  Those same children will be bathing on a regular basis, and once again, caring about their hairstyles and outfits.

(06)  I will be able to complete my household chores, and then sit down for an SVU marathon, without interruption!

(07)  I may actually save some money on the electric bill, not having so many lights on, and three computers running all day.

(08)  I may actually be able to keep up with my list of blogs... the ones that I read, and the ones that I write.

(09)  I can finally wrap up those unfinished projects, that I started back in the Spring... like the ancestral family photo wall, and the half painted upstairs hallway.

(10)  I can have shopping days all to myself!

Amazingly, as I finished up my list about why I'm glad that this is the first day of school, I learned that there was yet another school shooting in our nation.  For me, this is not just another shooting, but a much more personal one.... at my old high school in Baltimore.  Not only is it one of the very best schools in the state, but quite possibly, in the country.  It has always been a good and upstanding community, and no one could have ever imagined something like this happening.  I am shocked, and extremely saddened by the situation, and my thoughts are certainly with the students, parents, and faculty, as well as the single victim, and the shooter, and their respective families.