Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School 1st/2nd Grade 2010-2011

Hi again.

DS6 is trying a new class today, and I'm a little mommy-stressed. Our homeschooling group found 2 teachers to teach a core academic class one morning a week. The kids are broken into 2 classes: 10 2nd-3rd graders, and 8 4th-5th graders. The teachers have been teaching at the local Phoenix schools for 20 years (1 was principal), and they teach at a charter now. They seem top-knotch, and have really great lesson plans centered around the Jungle Book, writing for publication, math salon, science, geography, etc.

My stress is because we're going to place DS6 in the upper class. He's been friends with this crowd for a year, doing less-academic things like LEGO Robotics, drama, etc. Since the next age-level kids are 2nd and 3rd, and he'll be jumping over them to the 4th-5th class, I'm wondering what the social reaction will be. Plus, DS6 likes to be the funny guy to impress the older kids, and I'm really hoping he can put his "mature" hat on and not stand out behavior-wise as the 6 year old that he is amongst 9-10 year olds.

I know lots of you have gone through this, so it helps to read what you've all written. This is our biggest jump, and the fact that it's with kids he already knows but who don't realize where he academically falls has me a little worried. It wouldn't be a big deal to move him back down to the 2nd/3rd grade class. The teachers have agreed that he's academically able to participate at the upper level, though, and I really want him to be challenged in a class situation.

I guess we'll know in a few hours how it goes!

The first day of school when DS7 walked through the door into a 7th grade classroom, I was a wreak! I totally understand what you are feeling. We had a few bumps the first week as DS tried to determine how he fit but now I find that he adapts his behavior quite well when he is with the older kids.

Hopefully it will be the same for your little.... Best of luck!

I'm pretty sure with the weather conditions down here, DS7 (and DD5 for that matter) won't finish THIS year until the start of NEXT year!!! Grrr.

Shari, thanks! DS did great with his Wednesday class! What a relief to have found a good fit!! He said one 9 yr old asked him his age when they split into groups, but he just used the line I prepped him with: "I'm 6 and technically in 4th grade." Another 9 year old quickly came to his defense, saying, "well, that wouldn't be impossible, you know" and that settled the whole discussion. DS reports that he quickly earned "cred" by being the only one who could find India on the map (thank you, SOTW!). Then. they studied the childhood of Rudyard Kipling and discovered the stories he wrote at 6. DS6 loves to write, too, so he now tells everyone "Never underestimate a 6 year old!" LOL!

Love it! I'm so glad the radical acceleration worked out well. Sounds like a good fit.

We have some big news here. We visited a school for HG kids this fall, just exploring the possibility for next year. We all loved it, even DS7. Well, we got a call yesterday that there was an opening this year, because a student was moving. He can start anytime! We are probably going to have him switch in 2 weeks, at the end of a quarter. This school works a year ahead, plus works faster so they have time for other cool units. Since DS skipped a year, he'll fit right in this year, since he's more like 2 years ahead. The school also does a lot of ability grouping within the classroom. I'm probably more excited than he is at this point, because it's a little scary for him to leave his friend. I reminded him that he still sees his best friend from kindergarten, who is at a different school because of DS's grade skip, and I assured him we'd set up all kind of play dates with new friend too.

It was a hard decision to move him mid-year, but we really feel that getting him in with this group of kids in the first year of the program (it goes 2-5 grade) will be a better fit, and he'll hopefully be more likely to stay there without another grade skip for awhile. (It also was a hard decision because it will be a long drive for DS- I'm used to it because the school is near my work.) At his current local school, they are really doing a great job of being flexible and accommodating DS, but it's a lot of work for them, and most of the time, it's not gifted programming. But because of the grade skip, it has been OK.

It will be very hard to go in and tell the local school that we're pulling our DS, especially after the history we've had of some pretty contentious meetings that ended up with them coming up with a great solution for our DS. I still feel bad about that. We're not pulling our DS because we were upset with some of the things the school did, but really we want DS to have intellectual peers his own age. We don't want to burn any bridges - we might need to come back. Or want to come back (the HS here has a lot of different options that would probably work for DS). So, wish me luck on Monday when I go report the pullout.

Wow! Good luck, St Pauli Girl! It sounds like a wonderful opportunity.

We, too, pulled dd 6.5 out of school mid-year to switch to a full-time gifted school, so I know the type of stress that can cause a parent (granted, ours was during the pre-school years, so I know yours is certainly heightened). If it makes you feel any better, dd loved the switch and never looked back. I think, if nothing else, you're trading up in terms of peer group for your ds.

I hope this school lives up to all expectations and your son thrives there.

Please, keep us posted!

St Pauli, and Irish too, your GT schools sound like wonderful resources! My YS FC confirmed that there don't seem to be any in our metropolitan area, which is how we moved to homeschooling. I love what we're doing now, but I have visions of starting a GT charter someday to fill that void. We could really use age-academic peers for our older son.

We pulled out of school at the mid-point last year, and I too was concerned about maintaining a relationship with his first school. All of the teachers and principal were extremely understanding, and I hope yours will be, too. It's very reassuring when the teachers themselves recognize that these children need more than what a traditional class can offer.

I agree...let us know how it goes!

I just got an email from the Charter School I have been trying to get DS7 (and DD5 for next year) in. The lottery for next school year will be held in two weeks. Oh how this would be the best news EVER!!!!

They invite you to come to the lottery drawing. I am wondering, if it is a true lottery, why they would invite you. I mean do they let you, if you don't get a spot, a chance to give a good reason to let your kid(s) in? Or does showing up give your child a better shot?

Either way, I'm going, but still...

Ooh, good luck with the lottery! Don't you wish they would just pick the best fit, though, instead of leaving it to chance? I think I'd be a nervous wreck for the next two weeks. Hopefully nviting you to come must have some additional benefit. Good luck!!!

unforunately your chances should not be effected whether you go or not. I think they just invite you to prove that it is a true lottery and people don't complain later that it wasn't fair. This way they can prove to the public that it was done at random in front of witnesses.