i've had a funny old week
actually there was nothing funny about it it was bittersweet.
my son finished pre-school /nursery this week as he starts big school in September. On tuesday at pre-school i was given his scrapbooks to take home - if we like we can give them to his new teacher to read. I looked through them as soon as i got home, they were lovely and captured the personality of my son, lovely examples of his work, funny little things he'd said, great photo's of him enjoying school life with friends and teachers, i was left with warm fuzzy feelings and little proud tears in my eyes.
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On Wednesday i took him to Nursery {he goes to two different settings to get his whole five session entitlement} i was handed his transition document to read and sign, this document would then be sent on to his new school to show what developmental level he is at, as i began to read it in the busy nursery enviroment little alarm bells were going off in my head, i said i couldn't concentrate and would take it away to read and sign at home.
What a difference a day makes the warm fuzzies were replaced with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and floods of angry tears, i could not believe the crap i was reading, i made my partner read it too and he was angered by it too. My son has slight speech and language difficulties he has help at school and has been attending a weekly workshop and is improving greatly. The nursery have really dwelled on this in the transition document and it was really negative reading - basically it said his speech problem was alienating him from his peers and that he was a fringe member of the group, it also said he finds it difficult to effectively engage with adults, a lot of his "grades" put him at a 22-36 month level.
Now none of this is true it was ridulous reading - his key-worker has obviously not made an effort get to know him properly and that made me so sad as he's been there for 14 months, luckily he has loved his time there and was very sad when his last day came, it was hard for me to send him in after reading that report to be honest. On his last day i took in a two-page letter voicing my concerns, told the worker i wasn't signing the document as i wasn't happy with what had been writen, i was offered a chance to discuss it but declined, mainly because i was still pretty tearful thinking about it and took home his "learning journey" book to read there were about five pages in it, they weren't negative but fairly bland. I'm waiting for a response to my letter.
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The transition document from pre-school was very positive and in several catergories marked him at ELG {early learning goals} which put him beyond the level expected at his age. Not that i care what level he is at - i honestly don't but he should be represented accurately.
Anyway - i'm sorry for that very rambling and personal post but i just needed to get it out of my system if you know what i mean?
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on a more cheery note they had an end of term "BUG PARTY" don't look at the photo's if you are scared of bugs!
giant snails!
rosie the tarantula!
i held this snake too!
here is the bag my son made for his teacher
he was very proud of it
and here he is with his lovely key-worker at pre-school who made the lovely scrapbooks that gave me the warm fuzzies.
BIG BOY SCHOOL HERE HE COMES!
four funky fat quarters
i love how they are folded
and some lovely buttons ric-rac and clips
