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    #172273 10/21/13 08:16 PM
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    Here are our choices right now, as I see them. DS7 is in 2nd grade at a public school. He will go to a private school that starts in 5th grade.

    A. Skip DS now to 3rd grade, attend school part time while we partially homeschool all academics
    B. Keep DS in 2nd grade, attend school part time while we partially homeschool all academics. DS leaves this school next year at the end of 3rd grade and skips into the new school into 5th grade.

    His current school goes to 8th grade.

    Wanted to add: his current classroom teacher could care less how often he is in school. She is very sweet and kind to him. The aide stinks, but he wouldn't be around her too much for academics. The current 3rd grade teachers are not particularly nice and are openly unsupportive of gifted children.

    Last edited by somewhereonearth; 10/21/13 08:20 PM.
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    Tough decision given that the 2nd grade teacher is cooperative. A couple of things that jumped out to me was that 1) He would have to go through the 3rd grade teachers anyway but next year when it would be even more boring for him. This year the work would be more challenging so less accommodation would be required. 2) I think it is better to skip earlier, especially if another skip might be necessary. My DD10 just skipped 5th and now I am just understanding how little she was actually learning in school at the younger ages. It seems to me a younger skip is an easier adjustment socially and academically, but I don't know what experts say.

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    Actually, for us, the issue is how many times do we disrupt his social circle in the next two years? If we skip him now, he will leave his school in a year and a half, and have to make new friends 2 times in 2 years. If we keep him where he is, he will only have 1 social disruption in 2 years when he goes to the new school. It's also important to note that when he goes to his new school, all children will be new at the same time since the school starts at 5th grade. I view this as an easier transition, obviously, because all children are in the same boat (save for the 1 or 2 kids who may have known each other at a previous school).

    I would love to hear from more people. More feedback, please!

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    Of course, you are assuming that he won't have any difficulties maintaining friendships in an inappropriate educational environment.

    If it makes you feel better - I attended a total of 8 different schools between K and 5th grade. I can't recall ever being particularly lonely or having difficulty making friends.


    ~amy
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    I attended 6 schools between K and the end of my secondary education. The timing stank academically but I can generally fit into a new social situation relatively smoothly and I put it down to that if that helps you to decide.


    Become what you are
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    Can you leave him in 2nd this year (since you like his teacher and have a good situation where you can partially homeschool), then skip 3rd grade at his current school, complete 4th grade at the current school (this would be a way of working around the 3rd grade teacher issue), and then switch to the private?

    Just thought I'd throw an entirely different idea out there wink

    polarbear

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    I like polarbear's idea. It would allow him to keep doing what you are doing now with the good teacher, and then skip over the bad teachers. Would the school be willing to approve a skip for next year instead of for now? It would probably be easier on him to do the skip at the beginning of a school year anyway, rather than in the middle of this year.

    However, if his current school is offering a skip and you are definitely wanting to do it as well (ie., it is just a matter of the timing), you should definitely do it before he switches schools just in case the new school wouldn't be willing to skip him on its own. This way, the skip will have happened and the new school would have no choice but to honor it because he will have already had at least a year in the higher grade.

    Has the school offered a skip or are you just trying to figure out what would be ideal if they were to offer?


    She thought she could, so she did.
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    "However, if his current school is offering a skip and you are definitely wanting to do it as well (ie., it is just a matter of the timing), you should definitely do it before he switches schools just in case the new school wouldn't be willing to skip him on its own. This way, the skip will have happened and the new school would have no choice but to honor it because he will have already had at least a year in the higher grade."

    The new school has already offered to have him go there now just for math - 5th or 6th grade (the timing of the particular class is awful). They are also happy to take him next year (which would make it a 2 year skip). Our tester actually recommended a 2 year skip. I am not ok with that, so we have to stick it out for another year. So, I'm not worried about the new school allowing a skip!

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    "Has the school offered a skip or are you just trying to figure out what would be ideal if they were to offer?"

    Well, NOW they are offering a skip. Mainly because we have spent the past year advocating just for subject acceleration. They at first recommended a full year skip just because they didn't want to do the subject acceleration (which they totally botched up and made my son an anxious wreck apparently). Now that we've had him tested and fully evaluated, the tester recommends a double skip. I am so not ok doing that, so we will entertain a single skip.

    Really, though, the single skip isn't going to scratch the surface, which is partly why I am hesitant. He only goes to school part time right now and he and I both think it's working well. The tester is under the impression that a skip may challenge him, but she really doesn't KNOW our school. Even with the single skip, we are still going to have to homeschool the academics.

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    Originally Posted by epoh
    Of course, you are assuming that he won't have any difficulties maintaining friendships in an inappropriate educational environment.

    If it makes you feel better - I attended a total of 8 different schools between K and 5th grade. I can't recall ever being particularly lonely or having difficulty making friends.

    Thank you! This is important for me to read.

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