Monday, April 12, 2010

When exactly should I schedule this meeting?

I had a phone message from the Vice Principal at Munchkin's school on Friday, asking me to call her first thing this morning. So I called her on my way to school and we talked for a minute.

She wanted to schedule a time when I could come in to talk with her, the teachers and Munchkin about whether or not it makes sense to put her on a track to finish high school in three years rather than four. She is already ahead of most of her classmates because she has taken a couple of Freshman classes this year, and her teachers are concerned that she isn't being challenged. Academically, I don't think it would be a big deal...it really just comes down to having to make up a couple of classes over the next three years where she hasn't already caught up with the grade ahead of her.

Age-wise, it would work fine, too...she is one of the older kids in her grade, and while she would be on the younger end of the next class up, she wouldn't be the youngest. When she moved her, we were a little concerned about her being behind and trying to adjust, so she repeated fourth grade...which turned out to probably be unnecessary. Then a few years ago they suggested she may want to skip seventh grade, but she didn't want to do that at the time. This wouldn't really be a total skipping, though, more like a gradual phasing up.

I don't have all of the details, but it sounds like they are proposing that she jump one grade per year in one or two of the subjects that she still is behind this year's 9th graders. So, she has already taken 9th grade science and math, so next year she would continue with 10th grade science and math, but would also jump to 10th grade in history, English or her foreign languages. She would stay with ninth graders for the others, and then in the following years she could do the same jump in whatever subjects were left.

Academically, it wouldn't be hard for her...she gets the same A's in her current 9th grade classes as she gets in her 8th grade ones. And as I have written before, she would probably fit socially a little bit better with the kids a year older than her current classmates. So, the idea has some merit on a couple of levels.

Obviously, this is not a meeting that will be scheduled in the next two weeks;-). But it is something that we will need to take care of before this school year is over (last week in May, roundabouts) and I am not real sure what to do about it. I will leave it up to Munchkin, but she will ask me what she should do, and I am not really sure that I have any ideas...anyone have anything for me?

One humorous part of this was the Vice Principal struggling over "I'd like to set up a meeting with the two of you and...um...maybe...well...um...I guess anyone else that you think should be a part of the decision." I guess "the rest of her unofficial web of parental figures" didn't roll off of her tongue.

4 comments:

Tess said...

I skipped a grade (6th) because of science and math, mostly. I really have nothing negative to say about it. But like Munchkin, I was a pretty socially mature kid and had plenty of friends in the grade ahead of me. It might not be right for everyone, but it worked well for me.

The Girl said...

Just finished reading your entire blogs. 800 some posts. I decided to just comment so I am not that creepy person that spent a week straight on your blog without saying a word. Congratulations on the twins!!

Lpeg said...

That's great news for Munchkin, and if she thinks she can handle it, I think it's great!

Lori S-C said...

Smart Munchkin and lucky, lucky girl to have so many people in her web of parental figures.
You are doing such a great job with the teen parenting...
Amazing. The both of you!

Lori