Hen23's Journal~Goodbye

[Farmfresh]

I certainly understand your schooling dilemmas. We ended up with our kids in Christian school for their elementary years. I understand EXACTLY the problems and pressures that you are mentioning.

Then I think....

My mom who taught for 35 years ... home schooling is not an option for various reasons. He and I would not do well together with it and I have to work.

Hmmm... just wondering could your MOM be his home school teacher? My aunt Bev, (a semi retired teacher - she still teaches one college course) is teacher for her grand kids and it seems to work out great.

 

[TTs Chicks]

A lot of people in our town move out when their kids hit school age and go to another close by town with a school system with a much better reputation. Also not an option. We're not in a position to be moving and we actually like living here. Our taxes would go up significantly. We've given it two years hoping that public school would work and it just doesn't seem to be the best choice.

I can so relate to this - we live in a small rural community with only 1 public school option. It was bad when I graduated 20 years ago and only got worse, it has a failing grade. We had the boys in the christian private school and I loved it, but can't afford it - when we took the boys out 6 years ago we were paying $600 a month. The oldest 2 did get into the charter school in the next county (I work in that county so I take them and pick them up). I'm really worried about my youngest cause he starts school this coming year and there is no guarantee that he will get in. I will not put him in our public school system - so that leaves private and I really can't afford it, but we will do what we have to and I won't find out if he gets for a few months yet.

Good luck - it's hard trying to do what's best for our kids

 

[Henrietta23]

I certainly understand your schooling dilemmas. We ended up with our kids in Christian school for their elementary years. I understand EXACTLY the problems and pressures that you are mentioning.

Then I think....

My mom who taught for 35 years ... home schooling is not an option for various reasons. He and I would not do well together with it and I have to work.

Hmmm... just wondering could your MOM be his home school teacher? My aunt Bev, (a semi retired teacher - she still teaches one college course) is teacher for her grand kids and it seems to work out great.

If push came to shove and we really needed him out of a more traditional school setting she could. Right now she is working as a substitute in his school (very handy, let me tell you! She gets lots of dirt for me!) He also really needs the daily interaction with other kids. So, I wouldn't rule it out but it's not ideal.

 

[Henrietta23]

I do get so tired of second guessing my decisions, but I guess that isn't going to stop any time soon!
I forgot there are other Christian private schools in the area that I can look into. I'm really not sure that they will be a good fit for us though.

 

[Dace]

It is so hard to have a child who just does not fit the traditional mold. I have one, she is 18 now, but school has always been a struggle!

Just keep talking and listening to options, the right choice will present it self when the time is right!

 

[Henrietta23]

It is so hard to have a child who just does not fit the traditional mold. I have one, she is 18 now, but school has always been a struggle!

Just keep talking and listening to options, the right choice will present it self when the time is right!

Thanks. I know you're right and I'm hoping with the support of people at church especially who know the better sides of DS we may be seeing the answer right now.

 

[Henrietta23]

I spent over half an hour talking with the mom from the school that our priest knows. We talked about a lot of things including what it could be like to be a Protestant kid in a Catholic school. There's bound to be an issue or two along the way but I don't feel there's anything we couldn't handle, especially with our strong connection to our church and our priest. He is in fact one of the strongest supporters of getting DS into the school!
Anyway, I enjoyed speaking with her very much. We have similar views on a lot of things. I know one of her nephoew because my mom has been tutoring and he is in our Cub Scout pack.
Follow through with calls to the school tomorrow. I have professional development meetings and no students all day so I should have a good chance to talk to them and set up visits for DH and I as well as DS.

 

[Henrietta23]

Called the Catholic School secretary to follow up on my email. We have an appointment to meet with the principal of the school on Feb. 4th. After that we will schedule a time to observe classes and to have DS shadow a student for a day.
Had a Facebook message from a friend whose son used to go to DS's current school. This boy had one of the third grade teachers DS may have next year if he stays at his school. She did have many positive things to say about her. We've got a 50/50 shot that he'll have her at this point and we don't get to make requests. :/

 

[Henrietta23]

Thank goodness! In 2006 our town voted to build a magnet school with a huge grant from the state. A certain faction in town has been working ever since to undo the whole project. It has taken until recently for a site to be chosen and a ground breaking date to be set (April!!) Then yesterday's paper announced that a petition was being brought before the town council at last night's meeting to hold a new referendum to vote on whether to continue with the project or not in light of economic changes since the 2006 vote. Thankfully the council did NOT vote to hold a new referendum and ground breaking will go ahead as scheduled. We are hopeful this is the last hurdle to getting this school built. If the project had begun when it was first voted on the school would have been finished this summer and DS might have been there now! Now it will not open before he is going into 5th grade. No guarantees that he will get in but at least there will be a chance. He will NOT be going to our public middle school (grades 5-8). I worked there last year and I can guarantee that he will NOT be going there....
Man, I hate politics...

 

[Henrietta23]

13 eggs from 18 hens after months of 2 or 3. Whooohooo!
Made lasagna from scratch for tomorrow's annual meeting after church. Spinach noodles, bolognese sauce, bechamel sauce and some parmesan. Mmmmmmmm! Cooled it and cut it into small squares since about 80 people will be at the meeting and no one needs to be taking a honking big chunk!
In the afternoon the village committee is holding a meeting on the community garden they started last year. Apparently they got off to a slow start and really want to do a better job of things this year. I wasn't involved last year so I have no idea how it works. We shall see. I'd love to maybe have some more sunny space to grow some things for myself as well as do some work for the community garden. We shall see!!
Three 5 day weeks until February break. That's going to be a busy week with Naturopath appointments for me and DS, haircuts, mammogram, hopefully a day trip or two. All weather dependent.