VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

Tuesday, April 21, 9:31:54 [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, [6], 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 15:12:56 09/23/04 Thu
Author: JeanClaire*
Subject: Heeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooo . . . Anyone, Anyone!!!!

I'm cross posting from the kirk about my DD Betsy and to fill up the board:)!!!

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> My long ramblings in here..... -- JC*, 15:15:46 09/23/04 Thu

Thought this would be better on the Kirk, though I need more thoughts than prayers. But it still breaks this Mom’s heart to see her struggle so much with confidence and self esteem and not now how to best help her and let her know it’s ok. For those who have heard me talk about her troubles last year know a bit but most don’t so here’s the stuff.

Betsy had a rough year last year with a teacher she didn’t like and a teacher who didn’t know how to reach her by the first conference in November so seems like she just stopped trying. When by the mid school year Betsy wasn’t learning as much as she should we had her assessed by Sylvan Learning Center and started her with sessions. They seemed to help last spring. She continued over the summer and still goes 2 hours session 2X a week for both reading and math. At the beginning of school year she asked why she had to go cuz she was smart. And now she says she’s bored. Our coordinator at Sylvan is concerned as Betsy isn’t finishing the work they have scheduled for her and wants to have her assessed again. But Betsy’s also in the middle of mastery tests at school and we don’t want to over test her. I’m thinking it may be best to give her a tutoring break and I will talk to them this afternoon while we are there. We have 40 hours of instruction left on her account but that is still 10 weeks.

We also had her tested by the special ed department last year who found Betsy to be the sweetest girl once they got to know her. The testing all came out in the average range. Her attention was slightly lacking but still in normal range and I put that to her being bored with the testing even though loving extra attention.

Betsy was very excited to go to 4th grade and I was hoping that excitement would last through learning. She’s been complaining of tummy aches again like last year. Even yesterday at the first chorus practice cuz it was new and lots of kids. This morning she asked if I could drive her to school and she was teary eyed when I had to leave her in the lobby. Made it awfully hard for me to drive home.

Our school system has 3 K-3 elementary schools that then feed into one 4-6 grade intermediate school. There are about 1200 students. To make smaller learning environments they broke the school into 4 houses mixing all grades together. Her class is a 4th grade room but she goes to lunch and recess with her house so that is 4-6th graders. She says recess is the worst of her day. 300 kids on the playground makes it hard to find a friend. I did suggest she start making dates to meet the friends that she does know and she liked that idea.

Yesterday she came home with a 4 minute math facts test that she only got halfway through. She could use a bit of help with multiplication tables but overall knows her stuff. I think the timed test froze her and she was down on herself saying she was slow in math.

We got a letter from a reading specialist who’s been assigned to Betsy. Betsy hates being pulled from class and we were hoping her summer at Sylvan would help her not being pulled out of class time for reading. The reading specialist time slot is during the class’s individual reading time so hopefully Betsy will realize she is not missing much other than more reading.

Her biggest thing I think is her fear of learning and afraid to speak out. She reads beautifully, we are in the middle of “Amber Brown Goes Fourth” and she does understand what she reads. She doesn’t like to read aloud and offer opinion in class so nobody knows she has it.

Betsy can be very independent wanting to do things on her own with out help. We’ve had lots of attitude from her—backtalk, shouting but mostly this defiance is just her defense mechanism over her school struggles.

There is a curriculum night tonight for parents so Daddy is going to see what the class will be learning and stop by to talk to the reading specialist. We should see if we can get a conference with her teacher before November as to how best to help her. I am not ready to call a psychologist as my hubby suggests. Nor do I want to hide my head in the sand.

One more thing that worries me about her is even though she grew four inches last year she lost 6 pounds. She does look great—what she lost was what I call her toddler belly. She has had a check up at the dr, she is healthy but I did get a bit of a lecture from the dr to make sure I was feeding her. I have been trying to steer family into healthy food choices. And I do wonder how much stress of 3rd grade had to play. BUT the week school started while helping her get dressed she informed me that she thinks she looks fat when she tucks in her shirt. SHE’S 9!!! Not old enough to be worried about how she looks. I know girls start thinking this way younger and younger and I have tried shielding her from cable. And I keep my comments about my flabby self to myself. She is a picky eater some times and has little quirks like dissecting food that I wonder about. She will not eat the ends of French fries, only the middle of sandwiches, even eats slices of apples by taking bites from the apple speared on a fork. I do see her eating and will ask for seconds at dinner if it is something she likes.

Thanks for letting me lay my head for a piece. I know I shouldn’t worry but as a Mom hard probably comes with the territory!! Brenda, if you see this I know you would love to have Betsy in your classroom with a parent who is only too willing to help their child learn:)


[ Edit | View ]

[> [> (((((Jeannie))))) and (((((Betsy))))) Oh, Dear Jeannie...I haven't many words of advice, but I do know when I read about Betsy and the timed math test, it vaulted me back to my own 4th grade experience. I vividly remember those timed tests, and freezing and failing. It wasn't at all that I couldn't do my times tables, but that I didn't know how to respond in the manner the teacher wanted. I knew how to THINK, but that wasn't being tested. It left me feeling stupid and inferior and I've struggled with that ever since. Huge hugs to you both. -- Betsy, 18:43:58 09/29/04 Wed


[ Edit | View ]

[> Reply posted on the Kirk. (((JC and Betsy))). -- Brenda, 20:09:45 09/23/04 Thu


[ Edit | View ]
[> [> Heya Bren! I knew I would hear from you after posting about my Betsy!! Got your email and I'll get back to you. Have you had any dreams lately??? Betsy told me she had a variation of a Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater dream last night. I guess that nursery rhyme was running through her head so she dreamt she and her friends were at a pumpkin farm, only the pumpkins cost $1000 and when you went to scoop them out you would find a kid inside. Made me think of Cabbage Patch dolls actually:) I was too busy sleeping to dream!!! -- JeanClaire*, 09:41:26 09/24/04 Fri


[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> LOL JC. I finally had my "class from hell" dream two nights ago. I usually have it the day before school starts but this year it was two weeks late. My principal showed up in my dream this time though and I woke up thinking, "Oh great, now he's haunting my dreams too!" -- Brenda, 19:25:39 09/24/04 Fri


[ Edit | View ]

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.