My 7 y.o. son had an interview last week for a program I've been trying to get him into for months. Obviously it is getting very late in the year and this is becoming stressful. Our other option is the neighborhood school where 30% of the kids don't meet state standards.

Last he finally had his interview. I understood it to be more to make sure that the child matched the app and has no obvious social problems, rather than an additional level of screening. But I could be mistaken.

I picked him up after the interview and he was happy and asking the teacher if he would be able to attend the school. Then I asked him a few questions about what he had done with the teacher. It all sounded OK until he mentioned that he had written a story. This is what he said he wrote:

"One day I was at school and I noticed a box on my desk. Suddenly, IT MOVED. Little did I know there was a pigeon inside, so I pulled out my machine gun and shot it to smithereens! When I opened the box there was a dead pigeon inside. Then I was expelled.

Then I went to a new school where there was a bully. So I ...something here about shooting him but I was in too much shock to fully process..... And I got expelled."

My son has been at the same school for 5 years. He is considered a well-behaved child. His teacher is very fond of him. His soccer coach last season specifically requested that DS return to his team because he is such a nice boy. He gets upset when his brother gets hurt or in trouble and is very good with animals and loves babies. We have NO concerns about about his mental health.

But, I don't know what happened with the story. Obviously he was trying to be funny, with some Percy Jackson influence thrown in (Percy jackson gets expelled all the time and killed a cheerleader/monster). I wrote the interviewing teacher an email explaining this, but have heard nothing. We are kind of assuming that he has no chance. OTOH...I don't think he did anything wrong! He wa asked to wrtie a fictional story and he did. He doesn't realize the issues around guns in schools.

Any educators have an opinion on this? It this story a dealbreaker?

I don't have the experience you're looking for, but I'd say relax. He's 7, and he was writing fiction; it's developmentally appropriate. If the school would refuse him over this without talking to him or you about it, you're well out of that school IMNSHO.

It all depends on the sensibility of the interviewer and administrators at the school. Personally, if one of my students told me a story about accidentally shooting a pigeon in a box, I would find it funny, pure and simple. Shooting a bully is more of an issue and especially as a first impression, might make me want to talk more to the child and parents, but it wouldn't be a "dealbreaker". However, we live in an age in which a student can be suspended for bringing a chocolate bar to school, an age in which a six-year-old can be charged with sexual harassment. Unfortunately, if you get the wrong teacher (which is easy), there's no room for understanding or a sense of humor.

My advice would be to continue trying to contact the school - don't take no answer for an answer. If someone has a problem with your son's interview, you have a right to hear that problem explained and to initiate a dialogue on the subject.

We are supposed to hear a final answer this week, so I was just going to wait on that. I am concerned that they may give a reason not relating to the story, but actually reject him on the basis of the story.

Jane,
I just wanted to send a big virtual *hug* your way.

I think so many of us could imagine our quirky children doing the same thing.

I know that doesn't help. I just wanted to let you know you have people rooting for you and your ds.

And if it makes you feel any better, I have a friend whose kindergarten child wet his pants during his interview visit to the gifted school and he was still accepted. He just didn't want to stop what he was doing to go the bathroom.

That certainly was a fascinating story!!! I hope the admissions personnel take it in context and not hold it against him. Surely if you have reference letters from other teachers and his coach saying he's not a deranged killer, they would see it as it was....the fantasy mind of a wonderful 7yr old boy!

keeping my fingers crossed for you and him!
Dazey

Thanks for all the responses. They pretty much mirror how I feel. My son is OK, his story wasn't completely out of the realm of what a bright 7 y.o. might be expected to come up with, but the school may not take it lightly.

It remains to be seen if we will have to opportunity to address concerns that may have arisen. We are in a large school district with some problems and incidents DO happen. That may make it hard for them to be dismissive of the story. I can understand that view.

What a creative boy. I freaked once when DS6 wrote a story about a lonely man with no family. The story was very intense. But I have learned that his mind stretches far beyond the "norm", and what he writes isn't always a reflection of how he actually feels.

I hope that for you it's not a deal breaker!!

Me too. I hope all is well, but it may not be, things being how they are. Our children do learn that there is 'a time and a place' for certian topics, and you might want to pencil it in sometime this summer - not until this is water under the bridge, for sure.

My son has a list of 'things not to kid around about in school' but couldn't have understood the need for the list at age 7, but by age 10 he started to 'get it.' He still says things that I wish he wouldn't occasionally. I think it's part of being a kid.

((hugs))
Grinity

When my DD was in 2nd grade gt, one of the boys wrote a holiday story for the class book. He had Santa and the elves rob a candy store, gun down some clerks and get away with it because everyone assumed that the crooks were in Santa and elves disguises. My DD responded that's just how boys are. Hopefully, your interviewer will have as much tolerance for his creativity.

Thank you, your thoughts are mirroring my own. Obviously, I should have had paid more attention to instilling the concept of an appropriate time and place - but I never anticipated such severe consequences for not doing so!

We are addressing it but (as you imply) I don't want to browbeat him about it, especially as he was quite pleased with himself and has never been admonished not to write a violent story. I don't want to make him feel too bad (he did really wanted to attend the school) but I want him to learn not to sabotage his opportunities.

At the least we will have learned from this experience.

Well, he didn't get in.

They referenced the story only to say he was reluctant to write and that his writing skills were below grade level (entirely possible).

But they also said his other academics were only at grade level. And that just doesn't seem possible. His FSIQ was 148 on the WISC and 140 on the SB-V (taken when he was quite sick). He scored a 157 on the math portion of the WIAT-II and the grade level equivalents ranged from 4-6 to 7-0. He's read all the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter books and worked through the EOG state math exams for fourth graders. His vocabulary is good and he was in a good mood that day. I just don't think there is any way he could have presented as a typical second grader.

So it must have been the story. Which I understand. It just kind of feels like they are rubbing salt in the wounds to say that he is at grade level. I mean come ON!

((hugs))
I am sorry to hear this. What a shame.

Grinity

I wonder what Hemingway wrote about at your son's age? Lace and kittens?

A normal PG boy free associating is going to freak most people out.

Consider it a Badge of Honor to be rejected.

There are a number of public GT programs whose entrance is solely based on objective criteria that would love to have your son.

Shame on them. I guess it's better to know now if they are going to be so narrow minded. Sorry!

I'm sorry. I think that it is part and parcel of being gifted ourselves to want justice and it is particularly hard to hear people saying something that just isn't so when you have objective data to prove them wrong.

So, what's the game plan from here since your other ps option didn't sound like something you wanted to go with?

Thanks for all the kind words.

I probably should reiterate that it's very possible his writing skills really would be problematic in a demanding program. So they may have made the correct choice based just on that. Also, during the period they were evaluating his application a 3rd grader in the local school system brought a gun to class and it was discharged. I can see how that might have spooked them.

So I'm trying not to drive myself nuts second-guessing their decision. But you called it, Cricket2 - I am more than a little irritated by their suggestion that his abilities in general are second grade level.

I also have an application in for his 9 y.o. brother. He's yet to be interviewed, but given the comments about my younger son I'm not feeling optimistic. My older son is not as quick, but more the intellectual type. Has a greater love of learning. Maybe they will consider him a better fit.

My younger son is 3rd on the waitlist at a charter school so that may come through. I also toured our local elementary and I likes it better than I thought I would. I would be comfortable with that for a year, but not long term.

Well, I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but perhaps it's for the best....considering they didn't even have a discussion openly with you on the topic after you broached it. If they are not open to communication w/ the parent, it's likely not a place for your kid.

Good luck on this journey....

Dazey

This is all sounding eerily familiar -- my DS6 was denied even an interview at our local HG+ public school and they rated his reading level at one grade level up, despite the fact that his scores put him in the PG range and he was reading at nearly a 5th grade level (this was the spring BEFORE he started K). Handwriting was one of the sticking points in his case as well. It's true, he wouldn't have been able to do a 2nd grade writing assignment this year (maybe not even a 1st grade one), but... ah well.

All of this just highlights the need for legislated programs for gifted kids, as the kids with disabilities have.

Trying to fit HG+ kids into programs that are designed for ND kids just won't work.

<sigh>

So sorry Jane.

Val

I totally agree with others that this is a blessing in disguise -- I can just see the "bias" they will have, as my DS puts it. Good luck on your search.

That seems to be the big sticking point....handwriting. If you have a 1st grader that can reason as a 5th or 6th grader, I would say most of them wouldn't be able to write the volume that a 6th grader would be expected to write.

Oh HUGS HUGS HUGS. I know this had to be difficult. I know it would be difficult to hear that about my DD ability, when I know it is just not true. So big hugs for that. It sounds definitly like they had a problem with the story. I do know that DD would have a problem with handwritting too. Good luck with what ever choices you make.

Yes, it sounds like you are well rid of them now, and count your blessings. If they won't even talk to you about it, and then they make up stories to justify their decision, you would not have wanted to deal with them on other things.

I did laugh my tail off at that story, though!

LOTS of hugs your way - I know this whole process had to be trying - HUGS

Sending my hugs too. Gosh, this handwriting barrier is so common. When one door closes, another invariably opens though. Best of luck!

Having a twelve year old daughter who is highly gifted, I immediately thought that he did not want to go to the school. Most schools do not like any violence in writing or drawing and someone may have mentioned this to him.

Gifties know how to sabotage something they do not want to do. When they are twelve, you can barely get them to do anything they are reluctant to do.

He may be afraid of change. I'd at least discuss this with him.

Thanks everyone.

Ellipses, we all (husband, babysitter, and me) considered this. I would not put it past him! But I don't think that's what happened in this case. He sincerely wanted to go to the school. If anything he was trying to ingratiate himself to the teacher by playing the clown.

After sleeping on it I think I have a better handle on what happened. I think they have their own standard of "grade level" which is probably internally consistent, but simply doesn't line up with the real world. They may not even realize it (obviously they should).

Since this program requires kids to be in the 145-range on the Standford Binet V, my son was borderline in the first place. What I forgot to consider is that my son has already had a (sort of) grade skip. Going by his birthdate he should be in first grade. But he was in a flexible private school and it was obvious to everyone when he was four that he belonged in kindergarten. So he went ahead and started K and we never gave it another thought.

I think when this school evaluated him relative to kids one month to 11 months older with test scores as high or higher, he probably legitimately came up short. No, he is not "on grade level" - they are wrong. But how they are labeling him is not important. I think he probably got a fair shake.

Very Interesting JaneS - That seems reasonable to me.
Grinity