So it is now October… and I was going to post a blog about Jonny’s school situation in September. But I didn’t… because apparently I don’t do timely updates anymore.

Update 1: Jonny is in school. Literally. I have to pick him up in an hour.

Update 2: Jonny is in Kindergarten … again.

So let’s rewind a bit, shall we? Where were we?… 2008?… no?  oh, Last year? Last January? ah yes.

The end result of the last meeting in January was for me to enroll Jonny in 1st grade at [our home school] and that the principal would save us a spot at [second-choice school] if we felt so inclined to keep him there. So we were in limbo about where he would be attending this year pending his progress through the spring.

Fast forward just a bit from there.

So last May, towards the end of the school year, Jonny’s teacher had a meeting with us and the principal. I thought I had blogged about it but again, I apparently don’t do timely updates anymore.

So the discussion was about what Jonny would be doing for school this year. His teacher felt he was not quite prepared for general-ed 1st grade, with which we concurred and was an opinion we shared.

The principal informed us that the district told her Jonny is NOT to be held back. Federal Way is a NON-retention school district, which means barring extenuating circumstances (like not speaking English), students will not be held back (retained) for ANY reason.

We felt that, with all due respect to the district, if his teacher’s opinion and his parents’ opinions were both that he needed to be held back… then he was GOING TO BE HELD BACK.

The principal spoke to the district about our decision, and the district countered with “well, we aren’t going to pay for his transportation then.” I see they obviously have Jonny’s best interests in mind. (what with how well his transportation services worked out last year)…

Anyways, I told the principal that was fine by me, since I take him to school and pick him up every day anyways. If Jonny needed an extra year of Kindergarten, then he needed an extra year of Kindergarten.

His principal had a few suggestions for this year. We agreed with all her suggestions.

1. Her first suggestion was that Jonny be with a new Kindergarten teacher. Partly because different teachers can teach the same skills effectively, but mostly because Jonny had poor Mrs. [teacher] wrapped around his little finger. Jonny was supposed to be in Half-day kinder last year so Mrs. [teacher] let Jonny get away with quite a bit in the way of “immaturity” and “tiredness.” No more laying down on the couch during class, buddy-boy.
2. Jonny should take summer school to give him an extra edge with being in a new class and learning with a new teacher. Any extra education we can get!
3. This year, Jonny would have a supplemented education, not only with his OT/PT IEP (sorry… that’s occupational/physical therapy Individualized Education Plan), but with 1st grade level learning in areas which he is already strong. So, for some subjects he would be with 1st graders and for the rest, he would be with his kindergarten classmates. Seems logical to me. Right?

So we agreed to those terms and enrolled Jonny into summer school, which started a week after school got out…

It sort of went downhill from there…

buuuuut…I’m gonna have to fill you in about it next time because now I have to go pick up Jonny from school (after I wake up my 11month old from his nap). Yes. It has been an hour.

What? I’m not going to finish the rest of the blog? 

um… yes I will… eventually…? shut up. you got this much. 🙂

-ciao for now!