Dear Ones,
How in the world does one know "when to hold 'em" and "when to fold 'em" when it comes to school placement?
DS11 got his skip last October, and it was a dramatic struggle to get him up to speed with the organizational skills of Middle School. (cautionary tale to those who need skips and put them off)This year he just blends right in - well, he 50% blends in and this is a lifetime first for him, and is doing well academically and socially. Now we are questioning why the move to private school in the first place, and what the big deal was all about.
DS is even making noises about how great it would be to get back into the public school system. The grade skip would stay, and the Public school does offer Algebra and French to 8th graders so it wouldn't be any backwards step on paper - but are we underestimating the effect of his unusually academic class at the Private school? Still I feel bad for him to be in a group of only 45 kids for three years - that sounds very long to me. We have always hoped to be able to go back to the public school for High School, so should we bother with only one year?
I guess the point is that if he is being underchallenged, it would be nice for him to have less busy work as well. I don't see any way to do subject acceleration as an 8th grader - except maybe independent study. Not sure what subject. I guess I don't mind him having a 'party year' at this stage - he has worked SO hard to get where he is. And I don't really want to pay the money for Private if he isn't really going to be intellectually engaged. I just don't know what to look for ... how to tell.
((pout))
Grimity
