Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I had to make a big decision...a major one. I already did it and am now wondering how to fix it.
Long story short, I have an AIG student who began 9th grade when her peers were in 7th. She was moved up in elementary school.
We were in Vegas (beginning my retirement and preparing for a life of less stress - golf/tennis, etc and a resort lifestyle) when my mother called for me to return home to live with her and care for her until she passed. She was placed on hospice the year before and they (the powers that be) were trying to force her into a nursing home, I was on the phone with my mother while she was at the hospital - the home came with their bed to take her away.
Another long story short, we trumped all orders and I came to NC to live with my mother so she would never be alone or risk going to nursing home.
My two older children just transfered colleges (they are 16 and 17) to a local college near my mom's and my 9th grader...well, I sent her back to the 8th grade at a public school.
Reasons were she began 9th grade at a private school (accredited)- self paced. So she completed American History and Earth Science. I couldn't deal with LIFE if I was going to be a live in aide. Well, she's in 8th grade (which she already completed at a public school in Utah) and was assigned her classes BEFORE her records came in. (the other classes I paid for at the private school-she's just not going to complete)
I've pretty much ignored my children the past few months while I was caring for my mother. Projects that were 25% of grade...I didn't help or anything...didn't even know about them. I had my oldest daughter tote back and forth to school, do the shopping,etc.
Now, my daughter is pretty much failing some 8th grade classes. My mother passed away 2 weeks ago and I am just now getting a grip. I'm ready to be the mother I once was to my children.
What do I do? I'm thinking of meeting with the counselor at the middle school and request a look at her school records and any classes she's already completed, and she's taking this semester...to somehow not let it count against her if she's not doing good. And then next semester to allow her to concentrate on her worst subject - math. She's dyslexic and really gets those numbers mixed up.
I want to know BEFORE I go in as I don't want to say something to doom her.
Any ideas? If she's already completed the 8th grade - will this new school hold her back if she doesn't pass?
It's early in the year and there have been extenuating circumstances. If the school is any good, they will help you and your daughter plan a way to get her up to speed. Find out what the school's policy is on retention, and consider your options.
First off, my experience has been that middle school plays at most, only a small part in getting into colleges, so she should be able to recover from this. As maf763 said, it's early in the year so you can now work with the school and her to get back to a passing level. The only problem I see is that she might not be able to get into advanced/honors classes, if that's what she and you want. She can likely get back on track after her freshman year.
I don't know how your school works VegasGrace, but our Middle School has different levels of math. It sounds like Math is one of the classes she is doing the worst in, so she should at least drop down a level in that. If she's behind now in Math plus has to catch up in other subjects, it seems like a no-brainer to make at least one a little easier. After you meet with her GC, you may want to have a team meeting with the teachers so you can work out a strategy to help her.
Thanks everyone. Spoke with a teacher and since my daughter was in honors classes and completed the 8th grade already, moving here and putting her back in the 8th grade is like auditing a class...no credit is really given as she has already gotten it.
We are working on different math classes instead of honors...even though she passed that one, too.
VegasGrace, When you say your daughter "passed" an honors math class. Do you mean she barely passed or she did well? I've had experience with one of my kids that passed Alg 1 with a C and we had him take it over again because it seemed that he was struggling to get that C. In fact, in our school district, the recommendation is no less then an B to go on to the next level. Parents can overrule that and often do, but not getting something in math and then trying to just go past it doesn't usually work.
We've also had experience of easy grading teachers followed by hard grading teachers. It makes it really difficult to know what's going on.
I know what you mean as I've lived in districts that do that....require more than just a passing grade.
She passed everything including her honors classes which were history and english...I think. Math she's always struggled with but has not ever failed...she's not ever failed anything.
Doing well is an A. B is for Bad. C is for Come on, you could have done better. D is for Don't come out of your room for the rest of the year.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
