Second half of Septmeber--the madness begins

One month into the school year, I was called into a meeting to discuss putting Gavin into a resource class for math. He has already been in resource for reading since the end of 1st grade. We have tried so many different things, but he has always struggled with reading. By third grade, reading and math go hand in hand.

I left the meeting sick to my stomach. The thought of him spending 2 1/2 hours of the school day away from his class made me sad. I hated thinking he was feeling the pains of being the "resource kid." I remember those kids. But, at the same time, a classroom with 38 students where he was sitting at the back of the class not getting anything out the 7 hours he was away from home, made me sicker. I had already been looking into other options for him, but this sealed the deal; he needed something different.

I found a private school that I felt really good about.  I signed him up and he started the next day.  I was amazed at the shock and sadness of everyone at his old school.  Everyone from the janitor and the librarian to Gavin's teachers and the school secretary.  He was sure loved by all the adults at the school.  Seriously, the librarian teared up!  I love my Gavin.

Here he is on his first day of his new school.

 This is his new teacher--she is AWESOME.  The class has 18 kids and she lets Gavin talk her ear off.  She does tons of science and takes them on a lot of field trips.  I know that even if the reading doesn't get better (which it already has), he has so many more learning experiences and opportunities.  He loves his new school!

One field trip was an overnight camping trip to Zions.  Brent went along and they had a blast.  Brent made breakfast for everyone and they got to sleep in camper while everyone else froze their butts off in tents!

 They decided one night wasn't enough, so they called Grandpa Smith and he met them in Bryce Canyon.  Bon and John came up from Vegas too and they had a blast.  It was so cold, Grandpa got them all a room at the Bryan Head Lodge--lucky suckers!

 Bonny bought G a coon skin cap-what 10 year old isn't complete with a good coon skin cap?

There is a little more to this fairy tale ending...I'm going to skim over the part where I freaked out about the money private school was going to cost and decided to go back to work. I had one problem-- I had Jenna in AFTERNOON kindergarten that was putting a HUGE road block in my plan. The private school had an ALL DAY kindergarten/1st grade and gave me a screamin deal on bringing Kesley and Jenna over too so I would have all the kids in one place and free up my day to work. Kesley was SO SAD to leave her favorite teacher. But she did.  She did ok at the new school, but I could tell she wasn't happy (her new teacher talked a mile a minute in a REALLY high pitched voice...and dressed like she was going to a sock hop!) Jenna was in HEAVEN. All day kindergarten was right up her alley and her reading SKY ROCKETED in just a month!

And so ended the September...
p.s.  I pulled the girls out of the private school a month later...we couldn't afford it for all three!!  Kesley is back with her favorite teacher and Jenna is back in half day kindergarten.  Everyone is happy.