School and Education Update
Shayna and I have decided for her to stay at Valley.
We learned a few key new facts today (Friday). I went to the school and actually filled out an application for her for 3rd grade. BUT then spoke with the principal. She told me:
1. There is now a sibling of a current student on the 3rd grade wait list, so therefore, if a spot opens it will go to that student. So that means we would be applying for the Fall/4th grade.
2. Shayna can NOT continue with gifted & talented (unlike if she were to switch to private or parochial) nor would she be allowed to leave early to get the programming at the District (say valley). It would be an unexcused absence.
When I went to pick up Shayna from school today she had lost her scarf somewhere en route from 3rd grade to the car. So we went back in the school to get the scarf. Since we were in the school...I decided to see her Portrait Project from SIP which was hanging outside the 4th grade pod. Since we were then outside the 4th grade, and SIP is in the 4th grade pod, and I have never actually SEEN the SIP room/area, we decided to go to the SIP room. Mrs. Welch was still there, and to get there you walk through the entire pod. Which gave me the opportunity to SEE what they are actually doing in 4th grade. and while it will never be on par with the pricey private schools and still lacking foreign language, it appeared to feature more writing. I saw students essays on the wall. Then we chit chatted with Mrs. Welch for a while. I could talk to her for hours- she is a vast wealth of information on all subjects from the gifted curriculum, regular curriculum, students, and even info. on where she coincidentally went to high school (one of the good private/parochial all girl schools that has full academic scholarships). had to leave because not onyl did we not want to monopolize her time as I am sure she wanted to get home but I wanted to make a business call before 4:30pm.
So on the way out (I had already told Shayna what I found out in regards to the charter etc.) I told Shayna to do some research. Ask her 4th grade friends, especially Ariel (who is in G/T), what they are learning & doing in 4th grade. When she goes into SIP she can look and see what they are doing by what is out and on the walls.
Then Shayna told me that she wanted to stay at Valley, and didn't want to go to the charter school. I said what what made her decide? She said talking to Mrs. Welch. When we got home she told me she didn't want to give up Mrs. Welch (and the SIP program).
Mrs. Welch mentioned some exciting things coming. In feb. sometime all 3 children (Shayna, Timothy, Anne Marie) will present thier Portrait Porjects to the entire 3rd grade, and to another class. the project is not only the life size painted portrait but a story and filmstrip. Then in late spring/May there will be some kind of festival with food and presentations of thier inventions.
I spoke with Shayna tonight about taking advantage of the free music instrument lessons, and she will choose an instrument next year in 4th grade. this year she is learning to read music and play the recorder in music special (and in PA Youth Chorale was well) and she applied what she learned to the piano and now will sit and play simple songs from a piano book!
Also for now we'll try and continue our home enrichment, as time allows. She hasn't even touched the 2 new French workbooks* but has been working on Vocab. and math at school when she finishes her normal work before the other kids.
*I got her a bunch of enrichment books at Becker's and we have been reading "Story of the World: Volume 1" about ancient history. She also has mutiplication, division, and a vocabulary enrichment workbook...not sure what else is in our collection.
Shayna and I are both starting the "Artemis Fowl" book series. We are only on page 7 of book one but it sounds good. Its a fun mix of realism in present day (lots of references to everything modern from web to Gameboy etc.) with fantasy (fairies, elves, etc.). The main character is a 12yo super intelligent child prodigy who goes on worldly adventures (so in a way culturally enriching). Her A/R shelf had Book 2 and she chose it for A/R but then I suggested she read book 1 first so it would make more sense.
Some food for thought:
Did famous genius' such as Albert Einstein, Edison, Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newtown, etc. go to good schools? Did they go to private or public schools? What kind of education did they recieve as children and pre-teens and young adults? If someone has the potential of Einstein but gets a lousy education, can they still achieve the same things on thier own? Would they?
We learned a few key new facts today (Friday). I went to the school and actually filled out an application for her for 3rd grade. BUT then spoke with the principal. She told me:
1. There is now a sibling of a current student on the 3rd grade wait list, so therefore, if a spot opens it will go to that student. So that means we would be applying for the Fall/4th grade.
2. Shayna can NOT continue with gifted & talented (unlike if she were to switch to private or parochial) nor would she be allowed to leave early to get the programming at the District (say valley). It would be an unexcused absence.
When I went to pick up Shayna from school today she had lost her scarf somewhere en route from 3rd grade to the car. So we went back in the school to get the scarf. Since we were in the school...I decided to see her Portrait Project from SIP which was hanging outside the 4th grade pod. Since we were then outside the 4th grade, and SIP is in the 4th grade pod, and I have never actually SEEN the SIP room/area, we decided to go to the SIP room. Mrs. Welch was still there, and to get there you walk through the entire pod. Which gave me the opportunity to SEE what they are actually doing in 4th grade. and while it will never be on par with the pricey private schools and still lacking foreign language, it appeared to feature more writing. I saw students essays on the wall. Then we chit chatted with Mrs. Welch for a while. I could talk to her for hours- she is a vast wealth of information on all subjects from the gifted curriculum, regular curriculum, students, and even info. on where she coincidentally went to high school (one of the good private/parochial all girl schools that has full academic scholarships). had to leave because not onyl did we not want to monopolize her time as I am sure she wanted to get home but I wanted to make a business call before 4:30pm.
So on the way out (I had already told Shayna what I found out in regards to the charter etc.) I told Shayna to do some research. Ask her 4th grade friends, especially Ariel (who is in G/T), what they are learning & doing in 4th grade. When she goes into SIP she can look and see what they are doing by what is out and on the walls.
Then Shayna told me that she wanted to stay at Valley, and didn't want to go to the charter school. I said what what made her decide? She said talking to Mrs. Welch. When we got home she told me she didn't want to give up Mrs. Welch (and the SIP program).
Mrs. Welch mentioned some exciting things coming. In feb. sometime all 3 children (Shayna, Timothy, Anne Marie) will present thier Portrait Porjects to the entire 3rd grade, and to another class. the project is not only the life size painted portrait but a story and filmstrip. Then in late spring/May there will be some kind of festival with food and presentations of thier inventions.
I spoke with Shayna tonight about taking advantage of the free music instrument lessons, and she will choose an instrument next year in 4th grade. this year she is learning to read music and play the recorder in music special (and in PA Youth Chorale was well) and she applied what she learned to the piano and now will sit and play simple songs from a piano book!
Also for now we'll try and continue our home enrichment, as time allows. She hasn't even touched the 2 new French workbooks* but has been working on Vocab. and math at school when she finishes her normal work before the other kids.
*I got her a bunch of enrichment books at Becker's and we have been reading "Story of the World: Volume 1" about ancient history. She also has mutiplication, division, and a vocabulary enrichment workbook...not sure what else is in our collection.
Shayna and I are both starting the "Artemis Fowl" book series. We are only on page 7 of book one but it sounds good. Its a fun mix of realism in present day (lots of references to everything modern from web to Gameboy etc.) with fantasy (fairies, elves, etc.). The main character is a 12yo super intelligent child prodigy who goes on worldly adventures (so in a way culturally enriching). Her A/R shelf had Book 2 and she chose it for A/R but then I suggested she read book 1 first so it would make more sense.
Some food for thought:
Did famous genius' such as Albert Einstein, Edison, Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newtown, etc. go to good schools? Did they go to private or public schools? What kind of education did they recieve as children and pre-teens and young adults? If someone has the potential of Einstein but gets a lousy education, can they still achieve the same things on thier own? Would they?
posted by shoshanamom @ 1:55 AM
1 Comments:
At 7:09 PM,
Shayna said…
The stuff I was playing was not simple!! It was partly advanced!!
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