Wow Elizabethmom!
You've come a long way in a short time! Here's a try at a possible re-write:
Mrs. G,
I just wanted to let you know about my meeting with Mrs. R today and what "hubby" and I are thinking about next year.
It was a nice meeting; Mrs. R took a lot of time to talk with me. She has great passion for her students! Her request regarding creating a separate plan for DD9, or subject acceleration, or anything else "out of the box" was that we wait and see after a few weeks of school, instead of planning now. I understand this, but have grave reservations. You see, if she is not being pushed at all then we start to see sadness, restlessness, and underachievement. (Add 2 for examples, if you can in a sentence or two. � You can also add an example of �perfectionist behavior� where she won�t try things she isn�t instantly good at, or tears up her work and cries if it doesn�t met some outlandishly high standard)
I have gotten some help recently from people who know the profoundly gifted well, and a grade skip might be the easiest option for everyone. Her IQ is in the profoundly gifted range, in the 99.9th percentile (so is her sister's) so I had no idea until recently, as you know, how unusual our kids are.
Another piece of the puzzle may be some of her school day using the the Florida Virtual School as an independent study. If she were placed with older kids, then perhaps a small group could work on a project together.
As for this year, as much as she loves her teacher, she is quite fretful at home. She says that it�s from having no new material to learn. (or some polite way of saying bored without using that world) The only real way to know where she is academically is to give her �end of year� tests for 4th grade. Can this be taken care of this year so that she can start next year off with a placement that allows her academic needs to be met? That will give her the additional benefit of making school more rewarding for her right now.
Thanks,
"Elizabethmom"
I took out all of your fears and worries. They are real, and you should talk about them here, but they aren't for sharing with school folks. You have to put on a little bit of acting for them. We, on the other hand want to hear all about your family and their experiences.
I think on of the main differences between 'back then' and 'now' is that we are thinking of a gradeskip as the begining of a flexable road that includes gap years, decelerations, subject accelerations, distance learning and summer camps. If you daughter does join Davidson, she will have oddles and oddles of 'flexable path' kids to compare herself to, instead of being 'on her own.'
The drawbacks to skips are real, but we have a lot more ways of dealing with them. I think of my Grandmother's skips as more like 'official fake birth certificates' - here's you new age, make the most of it, we're done thinking about you! Great if it works, too bad if it doesn't.
I also agree that1/2 K with a gaureenteed skip to 2nd might be a nice fit. I would consider that she is 'partial homeschooling' K in the AM at school, and 1st at home with you. Of course, if she is reading 'War and Peace' already, and really lonely with agemates, and has great fine motor, and can sit all day - then 1st can work well also, particularly for girls who often are more 'sit ready' than boys.
I like the idea of keeping her around you for an extra year, but socially, early skips are great.
Woot!
Grinity
