First off let me copy and paste an email exchange
Thanks for sharing DS7's work. I will try to take a look at it this
week. There are certain skills that DS7 should be working on, but he
has been absent a great deal. The few days he has been here he has not
shown much progress in his skills. His work is quite a bit below third
grade level. I am also concerned that he often says he doesn't want to
do whatever it is we're doing, he will go a different direction or make
an excuse for why he didn't do what I asked. "Well, I just wanted to
make these guys over here." - was his response for example, when the
problem set was radial design and symmetry. I think the concept was too
difficult for him because he has missed much of the curriculum for
second and now, third grade, creating large gaps in his knowledge. His
art grade will be an NA - I don't have enough to actually grade him.
Ava
-----Original Message-----
Good Morning!
I thought you might want to see the artwork DS7 has been doing at home
while he was sick. I could really get him to put mark maker to paper,
but He was really interested in making movies. He made three stop
actions. They are on this DVD. The other two movies are documentations
of him working on stuff. This is a copy of a DVD we put together for a
scholarship program.
I don't know if you can count these toward his art grade? maybe?
Anyway I thought you would like to see them.... they are pretty funny.
Second: I am a NYS Certified Art Teacher..... as far as the art curriculum is concerned, she's full of crap..... But DS7 does lag in this area, he's never been a big fan of coloring he loves to draw, but isn't great at it.
Third: DS7 and I discussed the concept of radial summitry, he understands the concept, but did really see the point in making the art work.... his was different.
Fourth: this women has made the following statement to me: "All kids are gifted."
IMO as a professional artist and trained art teacher, her projects are very cookie cutter- she wants everyone to make the same thing, it's not concept based- it's very skill based. So naturally a 7 year old is not going to have the kills of a 9 year old in art making. She is acting this way because she thought the grade skip was a bad idea nd we were just being pushy parents and it wasn't warrented- in other words, DS7's gifts are that we push him.
On top of this you may have noticed that she said he has been out a lot.... something is wrong, and as much as his father and I have tried to deny it, he keeps getting sick and he keeps getting nose bleeds..... something is wrong. We have to take him to the doctor and get her to figure out what.... and, because he is not really really ill..... is sort of sick every other week, it's another argument. Honestly I don't know how much more of this I can take.
Anyway, I know that I have to answer this in a calm focused manner. Please help me write her back..... she is not a bad person, she just doesn't get it.
