Sunday, August 28, 2016

7th Grade, Middle School and a new start.

My kiddo started middle school on August 18th.  She has tutoring first thing of the day.  She'll be toggling grading periods between math tutoring and reading tutoring.  Am I sad that she qualified for tutoring in both areas?  No.  I'll tell you why.  The math is a given.  Girlie has needed math help since they started math in 1st grade.  What about reading?  Well, she reads all the time.  The previous district had them read not for content but to read.  They read to memorize, but truly taking in stories in full wasn't something that they pressed.  Kids were given spelling lists to memorize but not given lessons to know that which they were spelling.

All that caught up to K last year.

Memorizing spelling is fantastic except when parts of speech, antonyms/synonyms, definitions and ability to effectively use the word came into play.  This bit her firmly in the behind.

So, she reads.  Kiddo probably reads more than most kids you know.  She needs help with upping her game with vocabulary.  I'm glad that they saw this need and that they are willing to attend to it with her.  Her previous school district did not do this.  Frankly, they didn't care.

We went to open house the other night.  The open house was very well attended.  So well attended was this open house that they have to split it into two nights.  7th one night and 8th the other.  Parents are supportive.  Teachers are HAPPY to be there.  Parents are kind.  They don't deny that their children may have a deficit.  "Let's work together to fix this."  It is amazing.  K's previous district had disrespectful parents running amok and blaming all of the teachers for their children's deficits.

Not everyone will have the valedictorian student in their home.  That's okay.  Not every student will make perfect grades, perfect strides or perfect choices.  That's okay.  The task at hand is to work together as a team to work through these things.  I'm thankful that we're afforded the opportunity to have K attend a district that is lightyears ahead of her home district and that they are willing to work with us to improve her schooling experiences.

The teaching team seem to be strict.  That's good.  They are loving, but they are trying to stand on these kiddos to get them prepared.  Expectations have been laid out and are CLEAR!  This is the first time she's ever received syllabus' (or syllabi?) explaining what should be expected from both sides.  GRAND!

There are lockers and locks, changing for gym and navigating school halls with the expectation to be on time to class.  There are notebooks and organizational quizzes, writing and parental editing every evening, accountability and expectations.

We're good with all of that.  We're good to have a staff expect great and wonderful things from our daughter.  A new school year is in session.  :smile: