Parenting

Greetings from a mother who is eating an elephant,

Two years ago I began a journey, a search, a quest to find a better, more appropriate education for my daughter than the one and only option public education was offering. Had I known what I was in for, I think I would have made an about-face and run away from the notion. However, luckily there is truth to the statement “Ignorance is bliss,” because it’s turning out kind of beautiful in the end.

The school is great. Including Alexis, there are 26 students ranging from kindergarten to high school. Alexis’ class is a combination of kindergarten, first, and second graders. The school/convent/church is run by two nuns, a priest, and some brothers. Despite my lack of being Catholic, they have welcomed me and Alexis with open arms.

Alexis has accomplished more school work in the past five months than she accomplished in the total eight years of her public education. At first it was challenging to get her to do the work. She clearly wasn’t used to it. However, now she can receive and complete some of her assignments with independence, and the others with a little prompting and guidance. Hooray! One thing I never put expectations on was her writing ability. I always figured she would have to adapt by typing, yet I was wrong. Alexis is writing. Although she still needs much verbal guidance, she can write all the letters which have straight lines (A, H, T, L, etc.) legibly. Additionally, her voice is coming along. The school has a phonics system which happens to double as the best speech therapy she has ever received. The kids are great with her, and she with them. Contrary to the opinion of our national public education system, there seem not to be any adverse affects of Alexis’ presence and participation in this lower grade. In fact, the kids appear quite happy to have Alexis as their classmate and friend.

Just recently the school held their standardized testing, and Alexis was included. Regardless of her score (which I do not yet know), my daughter took a 210-question test independently and completed it within the time allotted for typical kids. I am thrilled and incredibly proud of her.

I must admit, I am really glad two years ago the Salt Lake district said no in the way they did. Instead of stating how much they did not believe in my daughter’s abilities and not even giving her the opportunity to try, if they had said something more like, “Why don’t you come see what a kindergarten and first grade class is like? Sit in on them for a day. Let us show you the curriculum and how fast things progress towards the second half of the year,” and had I taken them up on this imaginary offer, I think I would not have pursued this path. It really is hard. It’s hard to keep up both physically and mentally (and sometimes even emotionally!). We are doing it though. Alexis and I wake up every morning, get dressed in our school uniforms, and go to kindergarten together where the benefits of her current quality of life compared to the past far out-weigh the journey we took to get here.

And so it is

Until next time

With love and gratitude

--angie