Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments I'm new here,preparing for a big meeting on DS.

Here's my update. Our meeting Monday was cancelled. We had our first (and unexpected snow) so there were school start-time delays and our meeting was postponed. We are on for next Tuesday (mainly because my husband is traveling). I am sure of what we want now: we'd like to keep him in the same classroom but have an individual, accelerated math program for him, with the long range goal of moving through and out of elementary math as he is able. I am hopeful that this might be possible since the school is a charter with small faculty/student ratios and a 7/8the grade classroom. Perhaps we will find a way to bring a university grad student in to work with him.

We don't want to do a grade skip now since is learning and engaged in writing and other areas, at least I think. But the math is more than frustrating.

So we'll see.....

Our meeting is Tuesday and I have to say I am not feeling hopeful.

I ran into the psychologist and had a 20 minute conversation with him. I ask him how he thought the meeting would go, and what he thought the range of options would be. He offered the usual--differentiation, enrichment, and even "have you ever thought about hiring a a university student to tutor him?"

He stressed the importance of developing the whole child. He's quite a nice man but I have to admit feeling like knocking off his baseball cap at that point. I KNOW children need to be kids. My children play sport, practice music and are tutored in a foreign language at home. They also need to read their own stuff, play, do chores and do homework. And at school, it is my expectation and hope that the children are being taught, that they are learning new things EVERYDAY. If the school does its job then my child won't need to wait until afterchool to learn something new. He can play!

But you all know this.

He said the school had no one on faculty who had any real experience with gifted issue. He also said my son was the highest scoring student he's ever tested. That would sound groovy if it didn't also mean he had no idea how to deal with my son.

Until Tuesday.....

The whole child comment always makes me nervous.

My dd always plays more at home and is more socially engaged when she is stimulated at school intellectually.

I hope things go well. We are in meeting mode too.

Thanks to you both. I was just coming back here to add that while I think I sounded peeved in my last post I intend to arrive at the meeting with my spirit of co-operation intact. We have to find something for this child, some way to engage him and teach him. That will be eaier to do if I am not perceived as adversarial. That said, I am very clear on my agenda here: my son needs and has a right to an appropriate education. That does not mean worksheets and puzzle to do when he's done with the normal clasroom work. And it does not mean waiting for the teacher to spend five minutes with him when she can spare them. What it does mean is a progresive math program that challenges him, one that allows him to develop his math skills and learn something new during the school day.

I think my first set of questions will be designed to just get people to talk. I want to know what they are thinking before I toss down all my cards.

Again, here's hoping.