new beginnings

Luc's first day of his new school went great. When I pulled a letter from his teacher out of his bag I had a bad feeling in my stomach. and then I read it. Luc made 2 new friends, he joined the walking club and walked 31 laps of the gym, he bought his lunch, he got on and off the bus without any problems. I had such reluctance on sending him to this school.... it's for kids who have some special needs..... I don't want him to be one of those kids...... As we navigate this new school adventure I realize that by sending him to a school that is so well equipped to handle kids like Luc...... I realize that perhaps the real crime was keeping him in a mainstream school..... where the special education children were segregated. At times they were picked on by the mainstream kids. I think we all know how we acted towards the "BOCES kids"!

He's been at the new school for 2 weeks, integrating slowly. What impressed me the most about the Bird / Morgan school was the opportunity for movement these children all have. At his old school..... 10 minutes of recess per day. New school...... more like 3 hours of movement per day. Which encourages learning, interaction......

I found Luc online on Sunday googling sign language. He said there was a boy in his class who didn't speak, he could hear but he couldn't speak. Luc googled sign language and we started learning some signs because he wants to be this boy's friend. He wants to be able to talk to him.

Not every day will be a great day for him. Not every day is a great day for us either. I have to say it's the first day in months months and more months that we've had a really positive school day. He got on the bus smiling. He got off the bus smiling. His school is GIANT he tells me. He tells me there are a lot of really fun kids and at his new school they don't get yelled at for being different.

He tells me they help kids...... they don't yell at them.

It worries me to be very honest. You may have seen this article in the news yesterday. Sure these are what people will call extreme examples. But if one child dies, it is one child too many. In my opinion there is no such thing as extreme cases when it comes to children, especially, especially, especially our special needs children.

I will be very honest that through the past 10 weeks of homeschooling / tutoring / reflection / analysis....... in a mainstream school my son felt worse than an outcast. Every time he walked through those doors he was out on high alert. One wrong move and to the quiet study you go. One wrong move and the pink slip goes home to Mom. Very rarely was there a day that I didn't get a phone call from school. There is a very big effort to control these children.

By that I don't mean that these kids don't have to behave or follow the rules. I mean.... Luc will occasionally use a keyboard. I was told that he didn't want to. He told me he wanted to. After some digging I was told .... well the computer is too hard to turn on.... you have to log in..... you have to wait....... I bought him an AlphaSmart. Problem solved.

When Luc was in kindergarten there was a kindergarten picnic for all of the kindergartens in the district. Interestingly the special education kindergarten was not invited.

He got off the bus and said to me...... "MOM I BELONG! THERE ARE NO BULLIES THERE!" and I almost cried. I should have pursued this sooner....... and I am well aware we are still in the honeymoon phase of all of this....... we will have our days. But for the first time in years I feel like we are in a place with the proper resources to handle those days.

For example: when a child starts to have what we all call "a meltdown" they can go to a room called Mission Control. Within this room: spinning bike for kids, a ball bath, swings, a skateboard ramp with skateboards, bean bag chairs, books, you name it. They can go in there and do whatever they need to do to decompress.

Opportunity for movement. To get it out..... isn't that what we do?

Luc walked 31 laps of the gym as part of the walking club......... and he said..... guess what mom..... in this school I CAN RUN!

Outside of Luc's window in his new classroom..... A POOL WITH A DIVING BOARD! (find an outdoor pool with a diving board in New York State and you might have found GOLD)

Movement. Allow these kids movement. What a concept.

Rather than stuffing these kids in a box....... figure out how to help them learn. What a concept. Instead of making them feel like an outcast..... make them feel part of something. Build their self esteem and build their confidence alongside their academic skills. Rather than segregate these kids so they don't blend in with your perfect suburban child who is on the honor roll...... watch it, they might catch something from these kids............ give them community, give them each other.

Just you watch this class of his. I have met these boys. I have a feeling about them. They won't be hidden away....... these guys are going to shine. They're in just the right place to do it!