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#44806 - 04/16/09 10:13 AM
Re: Acceleration to middle school from elementary scho
[Re: marieg]
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Member
Registered: 10/24/08
Posts: 1167
Loc: NM
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Have you asked your daughter what she thinks? If she is all for it, it will make a big difference. The fact that the two buildings are attached will make the transition much easier. If something becomes an issue, would she be given the opportunity to "fall back" for one subject? How do the receiving teachers feel about having her? That is the most important thing.
I would recommend that you look into the Iowa Acceleration Scales Manual. It takes all of the emotion and opinion out of the possibility of accelerating and gives you concrete points to consider.
_________________________
Shari Mom to DS 10, DS 11, DS 13 Ability doesn't make us, Choices do!
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#44810 - 04/16/09 10:21 AM
Re: Acceleration to middle school from elementary scho
[Re: BWBShari]
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Member
Registered: 01/07/09
Posts: 155
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Welcome - and congratulations and wow .....!
I think it's great that for once a school is acting positively - but I feel for you trying to take a decision regarding the social side of things. However, there's no guarantee your child will be any less lonely or happy staying where she is now - is there?
SENG would be a great place to take her in the summer - if not this year, next year?
I look back at my non-gifted school days - I don't think I would have been happier socially at a public school, I don't think I would necessarily have made more friends at a gifted school. I didn't make many friends in college where the general emphasis seemed to be "drink beer". I don't have many close friends now. I do regret not being given more recognition to grow my talents!
I think addressing social needs is really important - and I think the UP side here - yes there is an UP SIDE - YAY! - is that we have resources like DYS and SENG and internet to help us. We are aware of teenagers and middle school being a diffciult time - so that might be a strange balance to strike - but you have a really supportive school - and it sounds like a supportive staff!
Given as I can't get DS6 accelerated in school at all (!) ..I would say never hold a child back - you can only live for today. Don't worry about her in 3 yrs time ..worry only about today and just go by "What's the worst case scenario - and how easy would that be to fix"? v. "What's the BEST CASE scenario?"
I was about to add what BWB just posted - which is - can the situation be reversed with the school and can you homeschool if necessary later?
I agree that your daughter's opinion is very important - and BWB has far better advice to offer in regard to taking the non-emotional approach!!
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#44812 - 04/16/09 10:27 AM
Re: Acceleration to middle school from elementary scho
[Re: IronMom]
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Member
Registered: 04/16/09
Posts: 112
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"I would recommend that you look into the Iowa Acceleration Scales Manual. It takes all of the emotion and opinion out of the possibility of accelerating and gives you concrete points to consider."
Yes, that is EXACTLY what we did today (for two hours!). We had the district superintendent, the middle principal, the assistant middle school principal, the school pyschologist, the school social worker, her current 4th grade teacher, her current 6th grade teacher, and two gifted somebody or others from the middle school and we all walked though that puppy one question at a time.
She scored a 60 (so excellent and recommended for acceleration).
Catherine's thoughts on this (other than her comment that she'd been asked her thoughts 5 times recently) is that she is interested but nervous. She has finally made a few friends (who all live nearby) and she'd miss the big 5th grade overnight trip. I'm more concerned I guess with a very petite little bookworm in the big halls, full time, with older and more "worldly" kids.
Homeschool is not an option, and yes, can all be reversed. They plan regualr "mental health" kind of check ups to make sure she isn't miserable. My son skipped 1st to 2nd and this is what they do for him at school.
Edited by marieg (04/16/09 10:29 AM)
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#44817 - 04/16/09 10:45 AM
Re: Acceleration to middle school from elementary scho
[Re: marieg]
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Member
Registered: 09/01/07
Posts: 3296
Loc: California
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...she'd miss the big 5th grade overnight trip. I'm more concerned I guess with a very petite little bookworm in the big halls, full time, with older and more "worldly" kids.
My first thought about this problem is to ask if she can go on the trip with her former classmates. Maybe you can make some kind of deal so that she gets her assignments done. It's looking like my DS9 will go to middle school in September, so I'm asking some of the same questions you are. I don't think the academics will be an issue and am hoping that he'll fit in socially. There are 2-3 boys who are ten at the school and it goes through grade 12, so he'll grow into the age groups in a year or two. I've been thinking about "least-worst" options lately and how difficult it is to find a challenging environment that also provides friends. It's not easy. Well, it's almost impossible. If your DD is in a public school district, all her friends will move to the middle school in a year anyway, and she'll be able to eat lunch with them and hang around with them during free time. It's not easy! I don't know if I've been of any help...but you're not alone. Val
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#44830 - 04/16/09 12:03 PM
Re: Acceleration to middle school from elementary scho
[Re: Dottie]
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Member
Registered: 01/07/09
Posts: 155
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SENG http://www.sengifted.org/smpg_parent_facilitatordirectory.shtmlSupporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted - they have a summer conference coming up - you have to apply by May 31st I think - and they get gifted kids of the same age together - which helps them find friends/peers. They have a bunch of ther resources too.
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