Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School So howis it going?

Update: DD7 now gets an additional 40 minutes a day with a gifted teacher, where they do social studies and science on grade level, "enriched" (whatever they think that means).

She's still scheduled with her grade-level class for 4 hours a day, but that includes morning meeting, lunch, and depending on the day, PE or library. And the part of the day where she actually gets to learn something comes entirely in the afternoon, so hopefully when she comes home, she's in a better mood.

Final update: DD is being withdrawn from school today. Homeschooling begins Monday.

Since we reached this decision, she's been a different person... in a hugely positive way.

Dude! Congratulations.

Awesome news, Dude! I hope that you are all very happy with the decision.

So far, both of my DDs are loving the social parts of school this year but complaining about the slow pace and easy work. I'll be making appointments to meet with their teachers once we get through MAP testing and I have some current evidence to show that they really do need more and I'm not just one of "those" parents.

I haven't been here in ages, had a relaxing summer.

Congratulations Dude. Glad your DD is getting herself back, what a journey you took for her. I'll be thinking of you and your wife and some of the girls-development feedback you received in meetings because DH and I have a meeting this week about a jump and based on one comment one of the women made and her rolling eyes when I said DH would be sure to be there, I think we might be hearing something like this. I'm seriously going to try hard not to laugh, because I'll feel like I'm in a movie or something.

Offered homeschooling this summer but DD said "that's a bit drastic right now" and she had a good attitude going in. She's fading now. We're trying to get to Christmas and might take her out then if she's agreeable and still getting sick constantly like she does every year after holiday break. She usually doesn't complain about being bored until at least earl Dec. and she's already complaining.

She got 1 answer marked wrong on the math assessments they're doing now (see below for me asking for input). On the same day it came home for me to sign, she had a math worksheet for homework that had 19 problems of the exact same things she was assessed on and got correct!!

I'm curious about parent input regarding her answer marked wrong on the assessment:

QUES: 426 and 264 have the same digits, but in a different order. Do they have the same value? Explain

DD's answer: They don't have the same value because 426 is geater than 264.

(yes no "r" in greater...otherwise, is this a correct answer or am I missing something? It sounds reasonable to me.) Maybe they mark off for spelling?

I'd try to politely ask the teacher. You need to tread lightly because if this was a post-test (meaning they covered something specific) then it could be your DDs mistake even though it seems like a perfectly reasonable answer. However, they really should write the questions in a way that the answer they want is more obvious. Why not just ask about place value....Sheesh.

My kid seems to like school. So far I'm being told by the teachers my kid's behaving and being told by my kid he likes both of his classes. I have him fill out a comment card every day and both classes are scoring smiley faces. I have a meeting scheduled with the principal to get her permission to try grant writing to try to help the school.

Dude, I hope you love it. Homeschooling can be great!

Thanks for the replies. I think the place value idea is correct, but the answer itself is technically correct.

Ironically with all of the problems on the homework sheet (homework being for reinforcement?), none of them are these types of question/answers...it is all about > < = , ordering, writing word names... You'd think she'd get reinforcement for the incorrect/misunderstood type question instead.

I always tread very lightly with the teacher. It's the same one as last year since they loop. I have to sign the spelling tests and there is always one or more errors with the grading...either words DD spelled wrong marked correct or visa versa. Last year the first time it happened I signed one but w/ understanding in a little note that I discussed w/ DD the words spelled wrong marked "correct" or spelled correctly and marked "incorrect". But the teacher got snippy, so after that I just signed no matter what with no comment(I thought the teacher would be more careful after that but she wasn't and just make a copy, put them aside, and go over them with DD sometime after the fact so she won't think correctly spelled words are wrong and visa versa).

Teacher's spelling is not great over all with communication. "flexable" "minuet" (minute) "finial" (final) It's just disappointing since 3rd/4th grade are so important for these skills and I'd think setting a good example is a crucial piece.

I probably would have laughed in her face in any other setting. But since this was the district person responsible for curriculum, it was much less funny. Hence, the "swallowed a bug" reaction.


I think having your DD on board with the decision is key. Ours certainly was. She was openly asking to quit school and go back to homeschooling for a few weeks before we pulled the trigger. When DW took her to school to get her things, she was very sad to say good-bye to her teachers, but there was also an iron determination in her eyes, as if to say, "I'll miss you, but it's for the best." It helps that she'd had prior experience with homeschooling, though.

Incidentally, she LOOOOVES homeschooling so far. DW is loving it, too. I borrowed a metaphor for DD from this forum about stress/frustration, where it fills a cup and you need to pour a little out before it overflows. Yesterday, DD exclaimed, "Mommy! This school doesn't fill my cup!"

Unexpected side effect: DD is exercising a whole lot more than she was before. She has a ton of energy when I get home in the evenings. She wants to play volleyball, frisbee, catch, or soccer, even when she's had a dance class or soccer practice earlier in the day.


Looks like a solid answer to me.