Junior High so far....

So, it happened.

Just like I didn't want it to.

I had called, stopped in and emailed the junior high, asking repeatedly about Alex's schedule before school got out last year and during the summer. 

"When does he have ESL, Fast Forward and Speech?"

No one could tell me.
This is what I would get:

"We have to talk with the ESL teacher first."

"I've forward your questions to the principle."

and the best was

"You should not assume a 2nd language learner has a learning disability."
(This because I wanted to see if he could qualify for the program that has an adult aid in each of his core curriculum classes - along with other struggling students - who records his assignments and then they meet in 7th period to work on homework and go over assignments.)

So they mail him his schedule the beginning of August.

No special classes.
Just regular 7th grade curriculum.

He goes up to the school with Devree and Brach and practice opening his locker and finding his classes the week before school starts.

Fast forward to this week:

We are on day 2 of junior high and he is LOVING it.

He has a fun math teacher. (He was my teacher and I loved him too! He sent an email saying "I have not taught Math 7 for about 30 years, so the number of problems and the pacing may be adjusted if I feel it is needed."  I email him back and tell him, "Thirty years ago? Then that was when I was 12 and in your class!" )

There's a girl he thinks is cute in his Health class.

His cousin in his English class.

And he loves Art and likes Chore (which is how he says Choir)!

I get a call Tuesday afternoon from the school counselor.

The ESL teacher can ONLY help him if he has 3rd period English which will require switching almost ALL of his classes around. 

(THIS IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO AVOID! Grrr....)

The other option is to have him pulled out of his Technology class for ESL with two other children who are BRAND NEW to the country.

"So, like beginning English?"

"Yes."

I explain that's certainly not going to help him much and voice my concern about how is he suppose to stay caught up with the stuff he's missing while he's being pulled out?

Her answer?
"Well, if you don't think he needs any further services then we can keep his schedule as is and not pull him out."
What the heck? Are you kidding me?

I assure the counselor that I want him to have services and I write down all the changes.
He will be changed to a cranky/not fun  math teacher and out of English and Health with his cousin and cute girl. 

He is not going to be happy.

Then I ask about Fast Forward (a reading program he was in in elementary that I know they continue through high school) and his Speech.

"We have no record of that."

"Well, he has an IEP for Speech and has been in Fast Forward in elementary."
"Oh. Well, then he'll get pulled out of an extra curricular class for speech and I"ll talk to the Special Ed teacher about Fast Forward."

The same one that told me to not assume he had a learning disability.

Great.

I think it's a disability to be able to read on a 6th grade level and comprehend on a 2nd grade level. Don't you? I don't say this but I do tell them if they're only testing him for reading fluency he'll do well but when it comes to comprehension, he is between 2nd and 3rd grade MAKE SURE the special ed teacher knows this.

Alex comes home and I ask if anyone talked to him about his new schedule for tomorrow?

"No."

Great.

I break the news to him. 

He takes it well. But you can tell he is frustrated.

I explain my choices. Should I have him pulled out of class or switched his class around?

"It's okay mom. You made right choice." and then adds,  "This way no one knows I am being pulled out." (I didn't even know that bothered him?)

The next morning he asks if he can go to school early as he's worried about finding new classes. I told him not to worry, that he'll get a break if he's late and if he doesn't he just needs to tell me. (And believe me, I will make SURE they give him a break!)

I wait on pins and needles to see how his day went.

He comes home with a TOTALLY different schedule than what they told me!

Switching his English classes and pulling him out of Art and putting him in Functional Literacy.(Which I believe is the Fast Forward program I was hoping for?)

He gets to keep cool math teacher, cute girl in Health but no Art.

But guess what?
He handled it beautifully!

No tears. No pouting. 

He did fabulous.

We were talking about his day and how crazy and disorganized the junior high is and he kept taking my hand and laying it on his face - he loves face tickles.

"Mom?"

"Yes Alex."

"I miss you at school."

"You miss me while you're away at school? It's not really that long."

"I know but I just miss you."

That's sweet.

Then he adds, "And your homework is easier." 

Ah ha! The truth comes out!