Acquara Independent School

So, trying to get back into the swing of things…

We had a quiet Thanksgiving Holiday. They did do some kiwi crate activities with kaleidoscopes and shadow puppets. We had Dwight over for Thanksgiving. I don’t think he has been here for forever. Kids went to We Village so Nik and I could have our monthly date. And most exciting, Naim saved up his $40 to get Nik’s old iPod Touch that we sold to him with a family discount. He still have $10 to go but that is on the layaway plan. It has taken him about six or eight months to save the money. He was very excited, and seems to so far be using it responsibly. Oh, Naim also went over to R’s house and they made sugar skulls and caramel apples for her “Autumn Party.”

Avery started potty training. So far, no success but not a lot of failures either. He holds it until he sleeps. He gets the whole potty thing mentally, I think. He just doesn’t know how to release his muscles voluntarily I don’t think. But the kid can hold his pee. (ETA: As I was writing this, we had our first successful #2 in the toilet!) Woo Hoo!

He returned to Goddard today, he did not have any accidents there, either. Here is his report. We are doing naked from waist down at home, and underpants (and extra packed for accidents) for Goddard. So far, naked or underpants doesn’t seem to make a difference.

I have Avery’s IEP meeting on Wednesday and I am going to check out the ECSE preschool. I got a little more logistical info from Jean today. I am kind of shocked at how little services he gets compared to the kids I had in ECSE in Nebraska and Kansas. Is it like this on a federal level now or does HPS/NWRESD just suck? I’ve been out of the loop. But I think I want him to go there and that is going to cause a big schedule shake up for all of us. Here is what I am tentatively thinking now:

1. He stays at Goddard Mondays and Fridays. This will lower his tuition somewhat, and then whenever they think he is ready to move to preschool (has to be potty trained) it will lower it a bit more.
2. He goes to ECSE preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He can go up to 4 days a week, but right now, it sounds like they are only going to give him 2 days. He will be bussed there.
3. On Wednesday, we all go to Village Home. This means I am recking up the kids schedule big time. I will have to drop all of their Tuesday classes, and I will add a couple on Wednesday for one long day. Avery and I will either stick around or go home and come back (or in my dreams I can get them a ride one way or another…)
4. For VH for Naim, I am looking at Discoverers, Film Making, Measure for Treasure, and maybe procession of the species, which is a parade prep class.
5. For Aaron, it would be Discoverers, Science Olympiad, Messy Garage, and maybe mystery solvers club.
6. I will be pulling Naim out of all drama that way. So, to replace it (because he needs to be kept busy) I will put him in a NWCT drama class, probably on Monday late afternoons. There is a concurrent art class in the same building that I may look into for Aaron. Not sure yet.
7. I am also thinking about finding some kind of park and rec afternoon activity a couple of days a week (swimming, gymnastics, etc.) so that we have places to go and aren’t all stuck inside 4 days a week. Tues./Thurs. afternoons most likely.
8. This whole plan (if it all works as planned) will meet a number of goals. I wanted to eliminate Goddard because of the expense, but at least I am reducing it. Avery will get the most services this way (if he stayed exclusively at Goddard, they would only come in like once a month.) The big kids will have more time without Avery around for their school projects. (It will go from 12 hours to 14. Not a huge increase, but enough to divide to 4 days, which has its advantages.) And I will not have to go to VH two days in a row, which was kind of killing me in a wimpy, annoying way last quarter.

It will all go down Wednesday. Let’s hope I can get all the parts to the puzzle together.

Big kids today:

• Naim did DER 34 DVD and discussion questions and workbook.
• They did the textbook part of Ch. 9 in Calvert Math, grouping factors into tens to assist in adding.
• They did 2 pp. of Sylvan. Aaron did Vocab today. (He does reading, spelling, vocabulary in a rotation.)
• Aaron worked on capitals in his HWT book.
• Naim worked on some of the OT exersises from Zaner Bloser, and did a couple more mazes.
• In the afternoon we did Ch. 2 in MGG geography books.
• Aaron did Lesson 12 DVD and book. I realized today that he only has Lesson 12, 13 and then the review lesson in the 1st grade HOP left. I hustled and ordered second grade today.
• Naim did Lesson 5 DVD and book in his HOP.

I have also assigned “projects” to them. I don’t know exactly how these are going to go yet, but we will figure it out as we go along. My hope is that in a few years when reading and writing are solidified, everything they do will be in project form. Naim’s is to research and make a presentation as to how we could be more environmentally sustainable at home. Aaron’s is to research a wind turbine and build a model of one, and then give a presentation about it. I am sure that these will have to be a trial and error thing and won’t amount to much this first time around, but it was a start and they are very excited about them.

Filed under: Aaron, ADLs, Avery, Class/Camp, Early Intervention, Handwriting, Home, Language Arts, Math, Naim, Social Studies | Tagged: Calvert Math, Discoveries in Early Reading, Early Intervention, Ecology, Goddard School, HOP, HWT, Projects, Sylvan, Zaner-Bloser | Leave a comment »