Today is Sam's last day of school with Ms. Breeyear and his old classmates. I have to say that this day is feeling much less bittersweet to me than I expected. I remember thinking in the fall of 2007 when things started to "click" with Sam and his school situation that I was going to have the luxury of 2 whole years relatively stress-free, and that I was going to thoroughly enjoy it after the hell that was kindergarten. Well, I'm happy to report that I DID enjoy my stress-free period, and I'm still feeling pretty relaxed leading up to the change in schools and situations this fall. We all knew there would be a change of school, classmates, aides, therapists and teachers for third grade, but I believe we are headed into the best possible scenario for Sam. After meeting with his new teacher, Mrs. Geis, I'm feeling confident that she is going to be a good fit for him personality-wise, and definitely experience-wise. From the descriptions we have heard of the class he will be going to, it seems as if it will be even more tailored to his needs than the previous one. I feel confident he will be challenged to learn up to his full potential, in an environment where he's accepted and where his gifts are appreciated. I'm certain there will opportunities for him to make friends, and for us to connect with other parents. If this new class is even half the well-oiled machine that the old class was, it will be just fine.
I can't say enough good about the class he's been in the past two years. At the time we found this opportunity, we were struggling to find balance in so many ways. School was an utter disaster, our home life was chaotic, we didn't know what path to go down. My feelings of frustration were consuming me- here I had this bright, friendly, energetic, polite, and happy kid whom nobody could come up with a way to manage. My heart broke when I walked into his kindergarten classroom and found his desk isolated from everyone else's. It was so hard for me to keep my eyes on what I KNEW was true- this kid has potential to do something truly special with his life- when so many continually tried to drag me down. So to realize where we are two years later is especially gratifying to me. To see what I knew in my gut back then taking shape now is so wonderful. We owe a lot to that team at Bradt school. Under their system and with their experience, Sam found himself in a school environment that allowed him to be himself, yet still grow academically and most importantly socially. We have seen so much personal growth in the last 6 months especially. In April, when new, younger students transferred into the class (a situation that Sam had struggled with in the past), his teacher voiced concern to us about how Sam would handle it. Well, he really handled it just fine. Not only did he not regress in his behavior, he actually was able to recognize the differences between himself and the younger kids, and what might be triggering their difficulties. His teacher reports that he has been a big help in the classroom. Amazing what true, trained professionals in the correct environment can accomplish.
We also owe a lot to our RDI training and our consultant, Theresa. Her guidance has been worth every penny over the last 18 months. RDI has made such a huge difference in our day to day lives and it's given me confidence that we can get through just about anything the future holds. Just the feeling that we, as parents, are in control, is so gratifying and empowering. Having a third party to "coach" us has made it much easier for us to critque ourselves and each other, and it also feels good to know someone has got your back if you feel things aren't going quite right. So much of Sam's personal growth can be attributed to us working with him under Theresa's guiding hand.
So, while I'm sad that one era is ending, I can say that it feels right. The time has come to move on, and at peace with that natural progression. Besides, he can potenially stay in THIS class for 3 years!
