Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Lurkers: What's on your mind today?

I'm trying to find a balance between advocating for my DDs, providing them with opportunities to help them grow into happy and fulfilled adults, while at the same time not becoming a helicopter parent that micromanages their childhood too much. I'm also trying to figure out how to best navigate gifted advocacy in a school district that isn't gifted friendly from the top-down.

Today I'm excited, hopeful, anxious and right this second procrastinating. I'm also thankful to Grinity for starting this thread, and thankful to all those on this forum that offer their experiences and opinions.

Thanks folks!

This is like ice cream for me...I love to know what's on people's minds! If anyone wants comments on their topic, please start a new topic with a paste of your post ok? This thread is just so beautiful as it is, I'd love to leave it as a 'quiet' place. Welcome to all newbies, occasionals, and lurkers.

((great big Grinity-Grins))
Grinity

Mmmm... how do u know I am lurking these few days? :P

I am been MIA from his site for awhile. Have not been loggin in after the winter break. and now almost everyone in the house is down with the flu bug.

I checked back in again last few days and were catching with some of the older post.

Just received DS8 's WISC-IV results yesterday. Couldn't explain the "numb" feeling that I have when I saw the results. Maybe because I knew I couldn't expect anything more from the school? I need to think if there is something else I need to do for DS.

ITA with Neato, Momma22 -- stick around and pretty soon you'll be regaling n00bs with the lingo. Also know that parents are the best identifiers of giftedness -- not teachers or schools; there was study done (I'm sorry I can't give a specific citation) which put out an ad in a paper for parents of young kids, saying if they thought their child may be gifted, they should bring them in for free testing. Turns out something like 90% of them were gifted in at least one area. So parents are good identifiers, and in fact usually *underestimate* their gifted children.

Which leads to your dh ... well, my ex-h/ds's dad says there's no such thing as gifted and that ds6 is just "well-parented." Well, congrats, ex-h, on parenting the child to 99.9th percentile all around -- what an amazing parent! (Ex-h is just a *little,* umm, self-confident ... ) ...

S-T ... gonna leave us hanging, huh?

I'm definitely a lurker, trying to decide when to really join in! I think I'm still trying to break out of the denial shell. My DS6 was tested on Dec. 31st with the WPPSI. He tested 99.7 percentile on the verbal category and 99.5 percentile in the non-verbal category. We are supposed to get the full results this week. But I guess that makes him gifted? Maybe his reading the first three Harry Potter books on his own before entering Kindergarten should be a clue for me?! Ha ha!

We have our first meeting set up with the school tomorrow (with the principal and DS's Kindergarten teacher). I'm a bit nervous about how it will all turn out. But I'm so thankful that I've been able to glean so much from you all about how to approach the school, different options, pitfalls to avoid, etc. You all have been an incredible resource! And I so appreciate how cordial everyone is! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Yeah.....I admit....I'm a lurker. I love reading all of the great information that you guys provide! I have found and utilized so many wonderful resources that you have posted about!

I guess what's on my mind this week is "How far will the budget cuts in California's educational system go?" They just keep taking and taking and taking. I wonder if there will be anything left for my dd as she goes through the system? Is it time to think about homeschooling? I just don't know!

Right now everything is great. Her needs are being met in the PS she goes to, so I'm happy about that. She loves her friends, teacher, and activities. I signed her up for time 4 learning (thanks to a poster here!) and she has been doing that after school about 3 days a week. She likes it so far.

I will try to post more, but I know it will be very inconsistent!

Thanks again to everyone here and I'm glad to know I'm not the only lurker!!

Laura

First, I have gotten so much out of this forum since I discovered it. I have learned a lot - thank you to everyone who contributes.

To answer your question, I have a LOT on my mind these days which is causing me to lose a lot of sleep.

I don't post much because I'm not sure how well DD8 fits in here and my job as an adjunct is consuming at times. We can't figure out what to do with her. The school considers her to be MG. Her CogAT scores are some of the higher ones they've seen, but they're not out of this world. But we seem to have a lot of issues that the other families I know at school don't have. She's very unhappy at school because she learns very little, and I think I've gone as far as I can with the school. We have decided to have her tested because we want to know more about her but will have to wait until late March. In the meantime, 2nd grade was clearly the wrong place for her this year and differentiation doesn't fix that. She doesn't think things will ever get better. I don't know if I want to fight the acceleration battle again next year as she is very, very small and doesn't have good social skills. I also just found out this week that she may have an underlying medical problem contributing to poor growth, so that is something else I get to worry about, too. My head is beginning to really hurt from banging it on the wall...

Then I have Miss Intensity, DD5. Right now, she is in the perfect place at PK5 with a teacher that gets her and challenges her - a complete 180 from last year's disaster. I decided on 1/2 day K for next year (and maybe skip 1st) but am now second guessing my decision as I am afraid of what the public school will do to her. Maybe I'll have a better idea after we make decisions about her sister.

Generally I lurk but have gained great insight from this board. Dottie has been an amazing resource.

We had a meeting with DS(now 8!)'s teacher 2 Fridays ago and then I met with the principal on Wednesday. I have to say I am super surprised at their reaction to DS's CTY scores and his newly documented ability. The principal is dedicated to seeing DS "soar". They are giving him the next grade level benchmarks. We are awaiting his November CogAt and ITBS scores. The principal is going to schedule a meeting with us, his teacher, a few 3rd grader teachers, the GT teacher, and the instructional coach to work as a team what is best for him. We discussed immediately placing him in 3rd grade or waiting and having him skip 3rd and enter 4th in the fall. If he gets the GT label, it opens a lot more doors for him, as far a resources go.

I am also mulling over what is best for him. He knows what's going on because he asked me why he is taking all of these 3rd grade tests. I told him the truth, that as a team, the school and we his parents, were trying to discover where he "fits" best. He was excited about the potential move. When he asked his CTY test results I was honest. He told his sister, "Don't mess with me I have a 4th grade mind!". Mind you, his sister is in 4th grade.

On my mind is the fear that we are burning daylight and I am anxious for some sort of resolution. I know these things take time but man! I am anxious.

Ok......it feels good to write this out. I have acknowledged what my worries are. Now we wait. Did I mention that patience is NOT one of my virtues? Hmmm.

Just a note: many of the kids here are HG+, but this is not specifically a forum for HG+ families. Anyone who finds help here and can offer help to the rest of us is MORE than welcome! Don't not post because your child is MG, 'kay? I think that would be a shame!

Thanks - I guess if the school was meeting her needs (or more than a very few?), I wouldn't be compelled to read this forum. I'm hoping that after we have her tested in March, we can start to figure out what to do. We should have done it last fall when the school offered little to help her. I've been slow to catch on to how big a disaster it has been for her for the last 2 years. I want my happy child back.