Magic Marker Monday: Rainbow Weave

James brought this project home two weeks back. Woah! I know a lot of work went into this, as he still needs practice cutting with scissors, let alone weaving. The hues sing to me in a technicolour chorus. I feel a little more energized by the movement in the wavy lines and stripes of rich tones.

 I enjoy looking at it. Especially as Michelle's rain was visiting us as I wrote this post!


For more great masterpieces or to share some of your own, visit
 5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday.

                               

Student of the Month

I think we've all seen those bumper stickers that read "My Child Is Student of the Month at __________" -- they are so prevalent that they've spawned snappy comeback bumper stickers like "My Child/Cat/Dog Can Beat Up Your Honor Student" and made their marks on American auto adornment.

I knew, going into this school year, that James' new school did the Honor Student thing. I cringed. I usually shy from the fads of the crowd, attended parochial school for 12 years, and was raised in a rather anti- "toot your own horn" family. It so went against the grain.

And then the school year started rough. It spiraled down toward disastrous. While part of me knew that eventually each child would be one of several Students of the Month at assemblies, I never expected James to get there any time soon. He was the trapezoidal peg that the school kept trying to pound into a round hole. There were so many things going wrong.

Then we pulled James out of school and did Independent Study at home for a few weeks, to keep matters from getting worse. I calmed down (a bit), pulled focus, and changed tactics. I asked the school for help.

What we got, was something of a freakin' miracle. A new classroom and teacher, with classmates James knew from the previous two years. Most importantly, an amazing aide who "got" him came into our lives. She went so above and beyond the proverbial call of duty that reading James' progress reports from his first and third semesters make him sound like two different boys.

School went from stressful, unhappy, and exclusionary to exciting, organic, encouraging, and positive. We feel so incredibly grateful and lucky.

And in the last month of school, this came home in James' backpack:

Yes, and I went to see him receive his awards.

This has been a wonderful conclusion to a challenging year. I am so happy James had a chance to participate, and that he was chosen at a time when being Student of the Month could truly be a proud experience for us all.

James, sitting with his teacher, aide, and classmates.
His good friend from First Grade has his hand on his shoulder, to make James feel better amidst all the noise.

James receiving his award from his principal, who helped make all the wonderful changes happen.

Student of the Month James -- bumper sticker in one hand, certificate and prizes in the other.

James' teacher, aide, and classmates, congratulating him.

Way to go, James! We're so proud of you and how far you've come. I'll even tape that bumper sticker to the back window of our car, if you want.

What A Party!

James' teacher invited all her kids, and any willing parents, over to her house for her end-of-school year party. Wow! That was incredibly generous and such a nice way to bring the second part of James' school year to a close on a happy note.

The party took place in the garden, an idea which caught my fancy. Once there, I was entranced -- bcause her yard is gorgeous (18 years in the making), with multi-level decks, lawns, many container plants, and blooming nooks/rooms for the kids to explore. The kids were enchanted by the kitchen parakeet before they even got outside. Many kids loved to throw the chew toys for her miniature schnauzers. We were entertained by a bold male jay and two dueling hummingbirds. The entire class helped her locate her 60 year-old tortoise, whose been with her for over 50 years, and helped pick dandelions from the lawn for a tortoise snack.

A steady core group of kids mobbed the outdoor ping pong table and the bean bag toss. Once the tortoise wandered away, the lawn was set up for sprinklers, making soap bubbles, and running around in general.

At first, James hung back, overwhelmed by all the noise and motion. His schedule had been chucked clear out of the neighbourhood. I could tell he was interested, though, and after an hour he began to venture out on his own, and offer food to his aide.

I took off for my yard duty shift, and when I returned, I heard all about the exciting rocket launches the kids did. James' aide said James was really hesitant at first, but after his first try he wanted to keep doing them. I am going to have to pin down all the ingredients and try this at home with him some time. He ate all his lunch and seemed to enjoy watching everything.

The last part of the party was devoted to dessert and a bubble gum blowing contest. It was fun to realize that the entire class had the time of their lives with potluck, a garden, and simple games for everyone. I feel so lucky James was able to be a part of this. Part of me worries that this is gone too soon. Part of me relaxed in the sun, and soaked it all in while it lasted.

I love this cute summer cupcake idea!

Magic Marker Monday: Final Class Report

Remember the report James did on ostriches? It turned out to be not only a very nice piece to display for Open House, it also tied in with his field trip to Safari West.

This week, final class projects started coming back home in backpacks. Here is the prinout of the PowerPoint slide that James made.

Way to go! And I like that hat.

For more great masterpieces or to share some of your own, visit
5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday.

                                 
 

On Safari

On Thursday, James and his class journeyed on a field trip to a wonderful local institution: Safari West. He had a great trip and conked out super early that evening at home, after completing a short homework write-up of the day.

I was bummed to miss this trip, but fortunately, the kids and I had already visited a few months back during one of their Open House days. Below are some pictures from that trip. James saw all these animals with his class as well.

Giraffes are Up Close and Personal. If they are on or too close to the road,
the tram stops until they decide to move, which makes for some great photo ops.

Oh all right ... be off, puny humans!

Rhinos. We learned that they are wide(-mouthed) rhinos, misnamed "white" rhinos.
Very cool to see trotting right in front of you.

African cows. Their huge horns keep them cool during hot spells.

Flamingo Island. Purty.

Meerkatz; yes, we all broke into song.

Whistling ducks. No lie.

James did well with both these tours. It was more of a challenge to keep him close to us and away from wandering birds on the Aviary foot tour portion of the expedition. His aide reports he did fine, although being out in the sun so much did wear him out more quickly than usual.

Safari West had a new addition to their family - an ostrich! I think the aide and I were more excited about this, because of the presentation James had made for his class.

I asked James what his favourite part of the trip was, and he replied "Giraffes!" That made me smile -- I liked them a lot too. They were gentle, yet seemed to have such quirky personalities (that I never suspected during previous zoo visits). I mean, look:

I don't ever remember seeing them stick out their tongues.
This giraffe did nuthin' but!

Giraffe tongues are purple (to me they looked black or blue) so they won't get sunburned.

Safari West is not what I think of when I think of the Wine Country, but I definitely fell in love with it, and want to visit again soon. You definitely feel transported, which makes for a very nice break from the mundane and routine.

Magic Marker Monday: Artistic Boom

Some artwork came home in James' backpack on Friday. His teacher currently covers 3 bulletin boards with class projects -- which is a big ramp up from his other class. I thought I'd share. Some of it's going on our fridge.

First, they're fun to display. Second, to enjoy the results of James being in a classroom with an aide who are a much better fit for him:

Not sure what this is, but I love all the personality coming through.

I did a similar piece when I was in Kindergarten, many moons ago.

And something that touched my heart, a gift from a friend:

On the back it reads "From B____, to James"

For more great masterpieces or to share some of your own, visit
5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday.

                               

Mysteries - With Extra Fruit!

I am trying to figure out a puzzle that looks like this:

A pencil, a bag, some gum, and a conundrum.

James brought this home in his backpack on Friday. I asked if someone had a birthday in his class and he said "Yeah." Then I unpacked his communication notebook and discovered these were really rewards for hard work.

Yay for rewarding hard work! Um, but what kind of hard work? No clue.

James chose his prizes. The pencil with numbers on it makes sense. He likes and uses both. But the gum I can't fathom. To my knowledge, he's never tried it.  And he's ignored it since it arrived home with him.

I'll keep trying to get James to explain this to me. Push come to shove, I'll ask his aide. It's a little thing, but the unanswered questions about his day are nagging at me.
 

Pick-up Time

Wow, we moms are a swarmy bunch! Waiting for my guy in the shade, admiring the garden and warm afternoon sunshine.

I love these angular windows. They somehow recall TV space and science programs from the early 1970s.

Special Exposure / Wordless Weds: First Day of the Second Grade

Today James had his first day of the Second Grade (*clap-clap* -- man, I've got that song from Veggie Tales in my head!) ... and he as excited to get ready. He could hardly turn loose his brand new Angry Birds lunch bag for me to fill it. He was so proud and excited it was his, I would gladly have paid twice what I did just to see him with it this morning. He ran to pack his backpack, and thanked me for getting it out for him this morning.

Here is our guy, ready for some new adventures:

He's wearing size 10-12, folks, with size 3 sandals .. and is still 7.

The First day, of the Second Grade (*clap-clap*) ... no to first aid, in the Second Grade!

Even though it's Thursday, for more images from the heart and to share some of yours,
visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.






               and ... Wordless Wednesday

Sounds of Little Big Things

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been preparing for the kids' return to school. I can tell James is excited because he has been asking constantly when he gets to go to his new school (in our district, from K-5th, the kids move on to a new campus every other year). He is talking more and loudly. I see more hand-flapping and a decreased desire to go to bed.

I did mention the talking, right?

Because yesterday we went to a meet & greet at the school, so the new students could be on campus and see their teachers and classrooms before the start of the academic year.  James enjoyed it, and spent time on the playground, looking for friends. On the way home, I heard him telling his sister who he saw and and where he saw them. I asked what did he like about his new school and he replied with the name of his aide, whom we'd met the day before.

He talked about the "park" (playing field) at the school. He talked about which of his friends he still wanted to see. He kept asking if he was really going to this new school, and I kept telling him "yes."

This may sound pretty dull and typical. It's not for us. James is volunteering conversation, and able to sometimes respond to our questions in a normal, conversational way. It makes me so thankful to hear him chatter and exclaim. For so many years, I had to listen with "just" my eyes and heart.