Vocabulary, School, and a Hi-Jacking

Me: How was your day?  Good, bad, or indifferent?

SnapDragon:  a little different.

Me:  How so?

SnapDragon:  It was 5th grade graduation so instead of library we had an extra long recess.

I guess "indifferent" isn't covered in 1st grade vocabulary.

On a side note tomorrow is Huckleberry's 5th grade graduation.  I cannot believe my baby is 11.  We successfuly enrolled him in the Middle School in our district that sounds like it has some great programming.  It is probable, though not definite, that he will attend there in the fall.  While turning in the paperwork I talked to a guidance counselor that says she enjoys working there, a district IT person that said every person she has met has been nice and friendly, and a parent of a 7th grader who said "It is the best school EVER!" and that his son attended in 6th grade and then over the summer they fired everyone (which was part of the government sponsored reworking of the school) and that "This year he loves it and has enjoyed school every day!"  I told the guidance counselor that my son loves to learn and we were looking for a school where he could learn the most and continue enjoying it, and she smiled.

I appreciate everyone's advice and wisdom.  Having knowledge of the atmosphere and the "more than test scores" of a school is certainly what we lack most about our in-district school option while we do know teachers and students and parents of students at the other school.  It is what makes me anxious about our choices.  The advice to find teachers and staff willing to lay it out is excellent though difficult to follow.  However, it definitely set me on the path of asking questions and getting some reassuring answers.  It is a path I will continue down for this choice and other school choices that will come up.   Thank you.

It does feel overwhelming at times--like I alone am responsible for gaurenteeing my child's safety and an excellent education.  Certainly they are part of my parental duties, but ultimately God is the one in control.  He created my son; He knows my son; He has knowledge about the teachers and school programs that I will never have; and most of all He has a plan for my son--His child--a plan to prosper him and not to harm him.

Pondering the secrets of the universe with every expectation that he can discover them all.  (I guess this was more of a post hi-jack than a side-note.)

Extra Special

"There is something just extra special about you, Sunflower," I said as she snuggled in my shoulder as I lifted her from the car.

"What is it?  Tell ME!"

It isn't that she can spend 24 hours refusing to walk because of a scratch (wide but shallow) on her knee even convincing the children in church child care to bring her toys because the mean old teacher (Mommy) wouldn't.

It isn't because she says, "Buckle me out!" when she wants out of her carseat.

It isn't because she can say the same thing over and over for 10 minutes with different inflections quiet enough to not be irritating.  My current favorite repetitive phrases are "I got gobbels" (wearing her brother's goggles) and "I like Captain Awesome" (it has a nice ring with his real name).

She is sweet, funny, intense, smart, soft, pretty, and so much more, but really I meant "there is SOMETHING extra special about Sunflower."  I don't KNOW what that extra special thing is.

 

Some School Decisions

Well, we've decided about Huckleberry's school.  We are going to enroll him in them all and decide in September.   Whew, the pressure is off!

Actually, we have eliminated a few choices which does make things a little easier and we will be enrolling him in two options.

First, we will not be sending him to the other school that is not in our district but has the honors program he can get in.  We do not know a single parent satisfied with that school, the test scores are abysmal, and almost everyone that qualifies for honors is choosing the school we do want him in (thus the wait list) so they will be filling the honors class from general enrollees in the school.  The only plus is that is very close to Oak's work so transportation would be the easiest.  It is nice to have made one decision.

We also won't be homeschooling.  I think it would be fun to homeschool Huckleberry (either through an on-line program or a full homeschool curriculum and co-op) but my husband and Huckleberry are completely against it.  It is still our "back-up" plan if public school does not work for one of our children, but we are not starting next year with it in place.

That leaves three options that we are still praying about and exploring.

The first is Huckleberry attending the Middle School his friends will be at but not in the honors program.  I worry about the divide of being at school with your friends but not in classes with them.  He does not worry about it.  The test scores of this school are actually above par for our area and they have a "Pre-AP" track for those who don't fit in honors or have not taken the placement tests but enter the school with good grades.  Huckleberry visited the school with his classmates today and asked about the Pre-Ap track.  They informed him he will be taught the same stuff as his friends but it will be with different teachers so some of the projects will be different.  Huckleberry's enrollment papers are currently in place to go this route.  However, this will ONLY work if they have enough room for an out-of-district student in the school at all.  This we will not know until late June (after school is out and they start planning next year's enrollment).  If he can get in, it will probably be an adequate education and a safe-ish place to attend 6th grade (are there any safe places left?)

The second option still on the table is attending a Middle School in our district.  We (Oak, Huckleberry, and I) went to an information night about one of the Middle Schools last night and were very excited about what it has to offer.  It is the only school in our district we would enroll him in--there is one other that we have heard very good things about, but it is over a half hour drive away.  The school we visited has 8 classes, 4 a day, and 4 of them are core and 4 are electives.  There are 32 different electives offered including robotics and media arts.  It looked very innovative and exciting.  HOWEVER, this program began last fall with a complete overhaul of the staff and teachers (only 3 remain from the year before).  The test scores from the school are beyond abysmal, but that is the reason they received all the funding and complete restructure.  There are not yet any scores from this year to tell if the change actually worked.  How much of the 19% pass of 6th grade math in 2010 was the programming and how much of it is the general population it serves?  Last year, after the new programming and administration, they had a big "fight club" scandal involving 9 six graders.  Is it okay to be a little freaked out by that?

After visiting both schools Huckleberry is more excited about the second one.  He liked the ones his friends will attend okay, but he said, "there isn't anything special about it except the people were nice, but they were nice at the other school, too.  I can learn more at the other school with their cool classes even if the other students aren't interested."  Oh, and did I mention the biggest class at the second school is currently 17 students and they expect to max out at 21 students per class with some classes having as little as 11 children.  The first school runs 30-35 per class.

Not easy, huh?  Or do you think it is clear?  We don't mind advice, just don't be mad if we don't necessarily follow it.

Oak has a third solution he is still interested in.  Move into the 3rd school district in the area, the best around, by next fall.  We could do it, but it is a lot of work and we'd have to get this house ready to sell while finishing our adoption paperwork and living life.  He is basing this solely on test scores, but it hard not to when you look at the school Huckleberry should go to based on where we live and have 33% pass 6th grade math compared to the schools in the other district having all categories passed in at least the 60% to some in the 95% passing.  Oh, he is also basing it on the fact that it is where all the houses are for sale--lots of people "stretched" to live in the good school district and are now being forced to sell--and we would like a bigger house.  It is right to take advantage of their misfortune?  Too late for most, the banks have already foreclosed. 

Since moving takes time and energy and just might not work, our current plan is to put in the paperwork to enroll Huckleberry at both of our first two choices, keep looking at houses, and pray, pray, and pray.  The schools seemed to think that was a reasonable thing to do though it seems a little misleading to me.

In the meantime, if you don't mind praying with us for God's clear leading that would be very helpful.  Personally I think God might be leading us to the re-vamped school in our district since we got the notice about no honors the same day as the last information meeting about the school for the year and were able to find a friend to watch the littler kiddos.  Plus Huckleberry's enthusiasm for it and the possibilities offered there remain strong even knowing his friends won't be there.  However, even clearer direction and for Oak to hear the same needs to happen before we make a final decision (Oak wants to see the 2011 test results first).  

Really, very few 6 graders are killed and Huckleberry is one secure kid--he'll be fine.  He'll be fine.  He'll be fine.      
 

School Choices

Huckleberry did not get into the school program that we want him in.  Not because he is not qualified.  Not because he hasn't been with these children the last two years doing well.  Not because he shouldn't be in the program.  Not because those taking his place will do better than him.

My beautiful boy did not get in because we are not in the district.  We have been waivering districts and going to this district since the beginning of Kindergarten.  For 4th and 5th grade he attended an honors program (Excel) for 24 students out of 12 elementary schools.

No one has competed for his spot.

But now it is Middle School.  In Middle School more parents want a better education for their child.  Probably because the difference between non-honors track vs honors track is less while in elementary school.  The difference didn't feel like such a big deal (though it was).  

But now more parents care.  Well, 8 more parents with qualified students.  That is where it puts him, 8th on the waiting list.

I am grateful for the last two years he had in the Excel program.  I am glad he had such great opportunities.

Now we are at a crossroads, and I do not know the answer.

I cry for his lost opportunity in a program we know is great.

We wonder.  Do we send him to the school his friends are going to but not in the honors?  Do we send him to the other Middle school that does still have room in honors but is not a safe school over all?  Do we try to move into district and thus move to the top of the waiting list hopefully eventually get in to the honors program?  Do we homeschool?  Do we move into another district?  Do we send him to his district Middle School?  Do we find a program in the district we live in and drive him long distances?  Any other options?

We have options.  We are informed enough to know we have options.  We are attending an information meeting tonight at a "Math and Science" school in our district to be even more informed.  We are in a comfortable enough place financially that while private school is not an option there are many choices for us.  

But even among the options I must turn it over to God.  I want God to guide our decision, all of our decisions.

Middle School won't kill him, but it sure feels like it might.  I would much rather have God make this decision.
 

Help Equals Love

I have been thinking about attachment again since so many of the people from my favorite adoption forum are in China meeting their children or are recently home.  Building attachment between a newly adopted child and two parents takes a lot of patience, love, and self-sacrifice (on the part of the parents).  I don't know how well I will do.  There is no way to be completely prepared, but I like to practice with Sunflower anyway.  After all she needs to feel loved and secure, also.

Last week she seemed to be a little more needy, needing a little more lap time, a little more grace, and a little more help.  One morning she insisted she needed help getting dressed although she has been dressing herself for almost a year.  I decided to help her.

As I helped her, I rubbed her arms and stroked her hair and said, "Sunflower, you don't need help getting dressed.  You know how to do it.  You are a big girl now.  But today I'll help you because I love you."

It seemed like a good plan at the time.  Give her a little extra reassurance with a gentle reminder that it is a special occurrence.

Later that day she made a puddle on the ground standing 6 inches from her little toilet (it was outside with her).  Oak took her upstairs, cleaned her up, and told her to get dressed.  A few minutes later she came downstairs still unclothed with a pile of clothes in her arms.

"Mommy?  You help me?"

"No, sweetie.  You need to get dressed by yourself."

"No, Mommy.  You help me.  You'll help me because you love me."

 Sigh...I helped her.

What Does Viscosity Have to Do With It? -- Sunday Snapshot

Huckleberry examined how deep a little red boat weighted with 38 quarters sank in various liquids.

He tested 5 different liquids of whose "feeling of thickness" (viscosity) varied.

The liquids were water, canola oil, rubbing alcohol, saturated salt water, and watered down but not completely set orange jello.

His father helped pour in the materials and his mother took pictures, but otherwise Huckleberry did all of the work himself.

He ran 3 trials of each liquid and carefully recorded his data.

After reviewing his data he discovered that how thick a liquid felt was not a determining factor in how deep the boat would sink.  With some research and a discussion with his father, it was determined that the actual factor was the density (mass per unit volume) of the liquid.  This was most clearly illuminated by the orange jello vs. water comparison.  The water downed jello felt much thicker than the water.  However, since jello is primarily made out of water, and water-downed jello even more so, their densities are the same.  This is evidenced by his data that shows the boat sank the same amount in the plain water and the jello.  Salt water, being more dense than water, did not allow the boat to sink nearly as much though the feeling (viscosity) of the two types of waters felt alike.

His final project brought him an A+ at school and the right to move on to the Regional Science Fair.  In a surprising and tragic twist of fate, Huckleberry's parents forgot to take Huckleberry to the Regionals leading to many tears and apologies until Huckleberry finally snapped:

"Mom!  Stop talking about it!  I know you love me and there is always next year!"  

Huckelberry has every intention on taking on the Regionals in 6th grade when the awards are actual savings bonds as opposed to the blue ribbon he did receive in 4th grade.

Be Still

Do you ever have one of those days when your heart just hurts, and you really don't know why?  Every thing is fine, almost everything, and some things are even more than fine, but you just feel sad?  Sure, Sunflower has regressed a little in her potty training and transition can be hard, but overall, I am loving my life right now.  I have good friends, a great family, a new hobby, and am involved in some projects that make me very excited.  But still, today is just one of those days (and Sunflower actually earned a rolo on her own). Maybe others are having one of those days, too, so I thought I'd share some scripture and nature from my photography blog because remembering who God is always helps.

"For  since  the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His  eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made..." Romans 1:20

Pslam 50:11 "I know every  bird of the mountains, And everything that moves  in the field is Mine."

So nice to know I belong to God.

And that He has taken away my sin because He loves me.

“Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak;
And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
“Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew, 

As the droplets on the fresh grass
And as the showers on the herb.
“For I proclaim the name of the LORD;
Ascribe greatness to our God!
“The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He."

Deuteronomy 32:1-4

So thankful that I can turn to the light shining from God's face and be enveloped in His welcoming arms.  So thankful that He has created so much beauty in this world; beauty we can find every day even if the darkness of the world tries to overtake it.  So thankful that I have access to God's word and can read it daily without fear.  So thankful for a God of power, and might, and love.