Changes are A-comin'?

I presume that because I could not immediately meet with J's teacher, she contacted his gifted teacher to discuss the problems she sees. I was quite alarmed to find a phone message waiting for me one evening, from a call that had been made after school hours. The gifted teacher just said, "J's teacher and I have a suggestion for J, and I'd like you to call me back as soon as you possibly can. I will be here until about 7, because we have a school event tonight."

I called the number immediately, but only got an after-hours message from the school. I emailed the gifted teacher to tell her of my trouble, but then we had to leave for J's Cub Scout Pack Meeting. That night, my mind was unsettled, trying to think of what this suggestion could possibly be, and going over and over J's unhappiness and complaints about this very young school year.

I imagined all sorts of unpleasant scenarios. I imagined that they agreed with J, that 3rd grade was just too hard for him, and they wanted to drop him back to 2nd, where he would fit according to his age. I imagined that they might say that he would have to stay in his regular class during his weekly Challenge class, because he just couldn't spare the instruction time with his regular teacher. I was afraid that he was behaving badly in both classes, and the teachers had corroborated so they could straighten out what had happened to cause these changes in J. And while my mind created all these unlikely scenarios, my heart imagined to plead with them to be patient, that his home life was extremely stressful right now, and had been all summer, and please, please be gentle with his damaged heart!

Of course, my wild imaginings of mind and heart couldn't have been further from the truth. When the gifted teacher finally called me the next morning, she explained that J's regular teacher was a product of the district's Challenge program herself, and as such, she really understands gifted children. She had contacted the gifted teacher to discuss the possibility of moving J to a different school. I had discovered the existence of the Challenge program at this particular school two years ago, and wanted to get him into it if I could.  It's a sort of magnet school for the gifted, and they gather enough of them to form one class for each grade, composed entirely of gifted students. J would be with other kids like him every day, all day. The curriculum is much more rigorous and in-depth, just like the pull-out Challenge program is now. But it's every day. J is a boy who eats, drinks, and breathes learning, and anything less than constant challenge makes him unhappy. It seems like a no-brainer to send him there!

And similar to when we decided to move J up a grade, an opening has miraculously appeared. I'm in awe of how it is working out so perfectly, and so is the gifted coordinator. She said something like, "Someone is definitely watching out for you!"

In addition to the self-contained gifted program, this is a regular elementary school. They said they can accommodate Z in one of their kindergarten classes. Z is upset at the prospect of leaving his current school, and we absolutely adore his teacher (he got Mrs. G, J's kindergarten teacher!)  J is also upset at leaving friends behind. Who wouldn't be? I moved many times in my childhood, so I have empathy for their situation. But I also recognize now the valuable lessons I learned as I said goodbye to one life and began a new adventure. Those lessons played an inextricable role in my becoming me. Remembering that is helping me to feel better about the hardship my children will go through as we make this change.

If we make this change, that is. I turned in the application for transfer, and Dad is at least outwardly unconvinced.  But I feel this is the right thing to do, and that it will be exactly what J needs to grow and be happy!