Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Seriously need a plan (crazy ranting mom post!)

DD9 (almost 10) is at a gifted public school. they are 1 year accelerated, he goes up an extra year for Math. Straight A's, no challenge, some annoying busy work and projects, not fitting in with the kids at all. He is unhappy socially, unhappy academically. He says he does learn new things but he wants to move faster and cover more material. Many kids at his school have to work very hard to do well. 5 students dropped out of his class alone (there are 4 or 5 other 4th grade teams)before winter break! It all comes very easy to him.

I don't know what to do. Homeschool? I am intimidated. How do I figure all that out?

Online courses? He is busy with the workload from school, he's not one of those busy beaver kids that wants to do schoolwork 24/7 (although he almost is already,just with busy work) and he doesn't like homework (me either) Poor kid is going to be busy all night COLORING (i could scream) a project for school. He loves to learn and do meaningful work though.

Homeschool with online courses? My head is spinning with this John Hopkins, EPGY... where to start.

Approach the school about letting him do online courses at school? He is unhappy there socially. They don't want to differentiate. i had to go in and fight for the math push.

ack... help??

Go back in there and fight for a full grade skip, with an additional year in Math. Put it in writing. Go 'up the food chain' step by step. Play up how dissapointing it is for DS to get no badge because he can't Improve!!!! If DS cried about it - play that up - social-emotional means so much to schools.

Is DA still an option?
Love and More Love,
Grinity

we feel like DA would be the place for him, DH is looking at flights today lol I got a new baby nephew yesterday - i feel so selfish wanting to be near my parents and brother, my kids hardly see family as it is! maybe 1x every month or 2. If we go to Reno that will drop to maybe 1x a year.

He got a badge for writing, he learned narrative and expository writing and got a badge for that. He didn't know how to write an essay when he started 4th grade, that was actually the best thing to come out of this school year. Also 1st quarter he got a badge for social studies for excelling but i think then he kept excelling and they weren't so excited anymore lol

What are the badges?

just pin-back buttons with the a special slogan and logo

We homeschool DS8 (our 4th year now) and with no other choice and swallowing all my denial and worries, I had to accelerate him to 8th grade this year. It's really scary but when you see them working so happily and being challenged at the appropriate level it's quite wonderful too. If you ever consider homeschooling, PM me and we could hook up via email if you like. I don't mind giving you some ideas if you don't mind reading my rather long-winded way of writing them.