Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Excited for new school year?

I waver between excitement and dread. Our school administration is notoriously difficult when it comes to addressing the needs of outliers, and DS8 would be considered extreme. I suspect this year will be a serious battle to get suitable accommodations to match his educational needs. I am already exhausted just thinking about it.

A little excited and a bit stressed. This is DS/DD's last year at the magnet middle school so the whole magnet high school application process will take place this fall/winter.

I'm excited and a bit apprehensive. DD8 is being accelerated to 4th grade this year and will start the gifted pull out program one day a week. In addition, she will be taking a JHU CTY course during her school day to further accelerate her reading and, depending on how well she adjusts, we may add a CTY math course for use in class as well. The 5th grade cohort isn't a group of kids I want her with, unfortunately (it's a small in-fighting group of kids), so SSA into that class isn't a good option. The teacher she will have this year has never dealt with an accelerated kid but she's being extremely helpful and flexible with everything!

Add me to the list of people who are cautiously optimistic about the new school year. We are making some big changes that we really hope will work out well.

I'm anxious about the upcoming school year.

I'll be taking 2 "generals" college classes to test out my ADHD meds and see if I can get through a degree since my ADHD dx.

DS9 is doing public virtual charter school again. He will be doing his schoolwork at the community college campus 2 or 3 days per week. I'm a bit worried about this, but it's hopefully a better situation. I hope he will be less likely to throw oppositional temper tantrums when he is in public.

I'm cautiously optimistic about his schoolwork though. I did a grade-skip acceleration on paper, doesn't affect anything other than he can take high school classes for credit. He'll be taking 2 high school classes, a high school level independent study, and 2 middle school classes. If he doesn't start throwing tantrums because it's "not fun" and he'd "rather do something else" or just "don't wanna do it"..... it will be okay. The odds of no tantrums... very low. He has had a few good days recently, but not enough to give me confidence.

You may already be aware that there is a difference between tantrums and meltdowns, but just in case this may be helpful, here is an article from Understood.org: Taming Tantrums vs. Managing Meltdowns.

I'm hopeful. We are trying a new charter school this year, a change from our local public elementary school. I'm trying to tell myself that no school will be everything that I want for my kids. But it would be difficult to be as bad as last year.

BRING IT!

Same schools for both children, this will be their last year at each of their schools. For my dd that means, last field day, last Valentine's party, last recess...

Yes & No.

It's going to be a rough year emotionally. But S17 is honestly doing fairly well. But he is already ready to move out of the house. The good thing is this means he's motivated to pass his classes & apply to colleges and little nagging is necessary. It should be an exciting and fun year. The bad part is even though I know it's developmentally appropriate it can sting when I'm not wanted. Particularly as I know when this kid leave the house (probably next June) he's likely to be GONE except for holidays.

Plus my older D has moved home & the house is feeling a bit crowded. I'm super busy with a start-up. This summer has just flown by.

On the frustrating side. Just found out that S17's H.S. counselor has moved to another school. Uggg. Explaining DS's 2E situation is tricky and she really seemed to get it. He did registration for classes this AM (School start in 9 days) and I should find out in about an hour if that went OK. His counselor was supposed to give him preferential teacher choose as part of his 504 but IDK what a new counselor can do.

DD8 is starting 4th grade at the gifted magnet she's been at for 3 prior years. She cannot wait and I am excited for her. She will do Math Olympiad, Robotics, and somehow also fit in travel basketball and rec soccer this fall (at her request). Her dad coaches both so neither will be practice intensive. I am not looking forward to dealing with some of the emotional issues I've seen developing, namely perfectionism-light which manifests itself mostly in self-criticism. I just hope I'm up to it.

DS11 will start 7th grade (second year of middle school). He did well in 6th but most of the teachers really emphasize neat, pretty work that does not have to be too deep. And piles of piles of it. That is difficult for my deep thinker with horrible writing who likes to question whether the "right" answers are really right. Not sure "honors" really means anything at his "highly-ranked" middle school. I just hope he makes a few more friends although he does have a handful now. He's doing his second year of orchestra with the cello and loves it. He will do that, piano, and school yearbook.

I'm going to be swamped at work all fall, which is kind of scary for me with both kids likely to kick it up a notch in terms of work.

Good luck all. I look forward to seeing updates!