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Post by unicorn on Apr 17, 2007 20:23:25 GMT -5
Received paperwork from the school suggesting that Tiff go to summer school for reading/math. It would be for the month of July, 9-12 each week day. I spoke to her tutor and she thinks that it is a good idea and that if we don't do it and then ask for extra help in 4th grade that the school will bring up the fact that she passed on summer school and could refuse extra help, since Tiff doesn't have an IEP. I e-mailed her teachers the principal and special teachers and asked about the criteria, etc for selection. Both primary teachers think that she will benefit from extra help a lot of the summer, so she won't fall behind and be ready for next year.
Logistically it is turning into a nightmare. I have taken 2 days and chenged my schedule. I am working every Saturdya in July to have the Fridays off to get her to school. My Thursday nights to work, I am going to have to go in later and my parents are going to arrange work schedules to cover the other three days.
How many others have had children in summer school and how did it work for them? I have till Friday to get the papers in.
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Post by misty on Apr 17, 2007 20:36:23 GMT -5
Shannons teacher suggested this in, Oh, maybe 3rd or 4th grade & I refused. I told them that with her LDs school was stressful enough & shes still a kid & needs that vacation. You have to do what you feel is best for Tiff. If I had done it to Shannon, she would have shut down & ended up learning nothing...I know that because thats how she is. If Tiff responds well & you think it'll benefit her, give it a try. On the other hand if you can't get her back & forth because of your work schedule, I think they'd understand that. Maybe you could have a tutor come to your house a few times a week instead? I know you'll figure out whats best all around & make the right decision!
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Post by unicorn on Apr 17, 2007 20:53:47 GMT -5
I am struggling with what to do. Her tutor is going away from right after school (mid June) until the end of July. She will be of no help.
Tiff had a breakdown about it tonight. She was so upset. I tried to explain the good things about it. But she wants to go to camp instead.
My mother thinks that we (me and my parents) can keep up teaching her over the summer. But she has gotten to the point that when I try to have her work on anything school realted, she has a huge fit.
BF and my sister think that it is a good idea.
I think it would be a good thing, but I am mom and I want her to play and enjoy summer. I had to go to summer school once, for one class and hated it.
But I can't have her fall behind too mich either. So stressed.
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Post by misty on Apr 17, 2007 21:02:04 GMT -5
Well, Shes old enough that you could sit her down for a heart to heart. Is camp a day camp? Could you cut her a deal that she can go IF she agrees to sit with you for an hour each day & work on school work? I would make having a good attitude about it part of the deal if you choose that course of action. If she broke the deal one day & was grumpy & non compliant, she could not be allowed to go to camp or swimming or whatever activity she had scheduled. An hour a day is not too long a period, yet long enough to keep her from losing all she has learned. I don't know, I'm just trying to brainstorm here.
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Post by lillian on Apr 17, 2007 21:09:39 GMT -5
Whatever happened to summer school being for kids who are failing, or who have missed too many days to receive credit for their courses? I don't get what's going on...why we are pushing kids so hard these days. I really, really don't get it. There's more to life than school. She's been looking forward to camp all year. What kind of message does it send to her not to let her go? She's passing her subjects and does not have an extraordinary amount of absences, right?
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Post by bugsmom on Apr 17, 2007 21:32:04 GMT -5
Oh Uni, you sound so bummed  OK, if this was the same situation with my Josh, I would not send him to the summer school. Reason being is that our kids struggle enough through the year, that summer break is precious time. I know that Josh would react just like Misty said Shannon would...just shut down. It sounds as if Tiff is already voicing her opinion on the matter. This is the thing, Tiff is eight, right? If she is passing all her classes, but needs a little extra something, you can easily do that at home. It doesn't have to be sitdown homework type of stuff...Read a magazine or comic book together to work on her reading, or take her to the grocery store and have her add and subtract things in the cart, simple fun stuff. I'm with Lillian on this one, she's not failing, why does she have to go? The other thing that bothers me about this is you having to change your whole schedule for this to happen. Not to mention your parents too. I would hope that the school would understand that you may not be able to get her there. I'm sorry your stressed over this, I'm sure I would be too. We want our kids to succeed and sometimes it's such a struggle to figure out what to do. (((((((((Hugs)))))))))) |
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Post by charliegirl on Apr 17, 2007 21:47:38 GMT -5
If Tiff were failing then I might have a different attitude about this, but the way I see it is, she worked hard and she passed so I would let her go to camp and forget the summer school.
Find a book about something she really enjoys that will capture her interest and read together. Tell her if she reads on her own, you will give her a reward for so many pages or whatever, just to encourage her to read. I wouldn't force her.
I have found some great sites for math and posted them in the kid's sites board. They have all kinds of math games. Encourage her to play them. By making learning fun, she will learn and not even realize that is what she is doing.
You don't want her to get the message that no matter how hard she tries it isn't going to be good enough, or turn her off from learning. She will shut down then and you will really have a hard time getting her to do her school work.
I would ask her teachers specifically what they feel it is important for her to be working on, ex: math facts addition, multiplication, word problems, etc. Once you know, if you need help figuring out which of the math programs would work best, I'll help you. My son has tried several and really enjoyed them.
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Post by katiekat on Apr 17, 2007 23:37:21 GMT -5
I agree that our kids already have enough stress during the regular school year and that if this situation ever arose with Sean I would not send him. It would add stress to both of our lives. Unless it came down to he was failing and in order to be promoted to the next grade he had to go I wouldn't do it. His bio. mom wanted us to take him to CCD and I refused because I didn't want to put him in another structured environment where he had to behave because school stresses him out more than enough. I think summer is probably such a relief for our kids!
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Post by crazyhouse on Apr 18, 2007 2:10:38 GMT -5
Uni I am so sorry to hear about this dilemma! Honestly I would send her to camp. You are only going to get 13 summers as a child before you are sent off into the real world of work and uncomfortable clothing from 9-5 or whatever the case may be. She will be carried off into marriage a career and possibly children. A long time from now obviously! but do you want her to have fond memories of her childhood summer vacations. or do you want her to have fond memories of a hot classroom and waking up early for the review of everything she learned last year. If she is passing and trying her hardest, she deserves a break. Along time ago.....I was in summer school (before they installed A/C units into public schools!!!)  It was not fun and it was so remedial and basic that I wondered why I was there. I hope this helps you somehow do what's right. |
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Post by lostmyshoe on Apr 18, 2007 8:58:41 GMT -5
Uni,
I know how much Becca likes to enjoy summer so I can understand how frustrating this can sound to Tiff, but if she really struggles in those areas it might benefit her. As they get older, each year the work gets so much harder. When Becca was getting ready to go into Middle School, a teacher suggested I put her in a Math course they had in the summer because she was struggling with it. It turned out that she really liked the class and it helped her a lot. She did much better that next school year in Math. She also made a couple of friends that she now has in Middle School. If the class is only 3 hours a day, that doesn't sound too bad. At least it's not the whole day and she still has the rest of the day to do what she wants. Of course you know the situation best being her Mom and if she is really adamant about it, there's no use in forcing someone to do something they absolutely don't want to do. If the down time is what she needs more then camp may be the better thing to do. You know Tiff the best and what is truely best for her. Hope something I said helps a little.
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I was about to conquer the world but then I got distracted by something shiny.
