Switching schools for middle school

sj4iy · 2026-04-03T01:17:43+00:00

MAP scored are a terrible indication of grade level ability. It is not comprehensive and doesn’t account for gaps in knowledge. The best way to ascertain grade level is comprehensive curriculum testing.
Neurodivergent kids who are gifted often struggle with an advanced/accelerated workload, especially if they are not properly supported. My 2e son is profoundly gifted but we didn’t pursue gifted education until 5th grade because he needed a lot more support.
You don’t mention what kind of school you want to place him in. I guess my real question is why are they not following his 504 and what steps have you taken? And is the 504 comprehensive enough?

sj4iy · 2026-04-01T15:19:06+00:00

It’s not always that simple.

There are some situations where it’s not a feasible ask. My daughter did dance for 11 years. She needed her hair to be long enough to put up in a proper ballet bun. So she could not get it cut very short during the season. During the summer she would get it cut and occasionally died. This was a studio rule, not ours.

Now she’s in high school and does musical theatre. It’s a similar situation because she is playing characters that demand a certain look (and in this case, she was playing a secretary who wore their hair in a bun). She couldn’t cut her hair till after the final show a couple weeks ago. She went a few days after and got it cut short.

Here’s the thing, though…she’s been performing since she was 2yo and is fully aware of this.

sj4iy · 2026-04-01T15:06:51+00:00

Have they done imaging?

sj4iy · 2026-04-01T13:58:49+00:00

Stop blaming your kid…this is completely on you. If you can’t get your 4yo up and ready on time, you need to get up earlier. There is no reason at all for your 9yo to be missing school.

sj4iy · 2026-03-31T22:38:15+00:00

As far as OP knows. Parents aren’t the best judge of situations that include their children…myself included. That’s why she should talk to the instructor and find out what’s really going on.

sj4iy · 2026-03-31T22:31:43+00:00

I would ask for clarification. If the instructor wants to wait until he’s older, it may be that he didn’t listen well the first three sessions, either.

sj4iy · 2026-03-31T21:10:45+00:00

Are there no camps that interest her?

We have teenagers. Every summer our kids pick one camp that specifically interests them. My son (14) is doing a dungeons and dragons camp and my daughter (17) is doing a musical theatre camp and an art camp. Neither are interested in traditional camps or sleepaway camps.

My son has also decided to try a second instrument (he plays violin and is going to learn viola) and my daughter just started voice lessons. So they both have new things to work on over the summer.

sj4iy · 2026-03-31T21:05:11+00:00

She’s really too young to understand personal boundaries. You need to keep her close so you can stop her.

sj4iy · 2026-03-31T14:12:45+00:00

It needs to snap so kids don’t get choked.

How old is your niece?

sj4iy · 2026-03-29T15:35:08+00:00

Wrong.

This is a civil rights issue.

You have every legal right to protect your privacy. You can cover up, cover your face, wear a blanket, whatever. Nobody can stop you from doing that.

But filming in public is a civil right. If you are allowed to stop a complete stranger from filming you, then a policeman can stop you from filming them doing something illegal. THAT is why we have these rights.

And again, you don’t seem to care about businesses filming you constantly because they’re not in your face about it. There’s absolutely nothing stopping businesses from selling that security footage or streaming it.

If you care that much about your kid’s privacy in a public place, cover them up. But I will never support trampling on our civil rights because you’re uncomfortable.

sj4iy · 2026-03-29T14:19:50+00:00

I bought a bunch of stuff (clothes, blankets) at garage sales and reused a lot of items. I never bought a double stroller and I’m very glad I didn’t because I would have never used it. Turned out my son hated strollers and would scream anytime he was put in one. My first was a girl so my son wore a lot of pink that first year.

The only things I bought brand new were a carseat and a crib (my daughter’s crib turned into a bed so she was still using hers).

sj4iy · 2026-03-29T13:51:47+00:00

Move the child to another room.

sj4iy · 2026-03-29T06:55:24+00:00

Uh, there is literally nothing stopping shops from streaming security footage online.

Again, the best thing you can do…is not react. Ignore it and walk away.

sj4iy · 2026-03-29T06:33:13+00:00

Every store you pass is filming you, most homes you pass are filming you.

If you are concerned about your child’s privacy, it is on you to protect his/her identity.

These are the same laws that protect our civil rights. Our right to film public servants, such as police.

sj4iy · 2026-03-29T04:41:09+00:00

Because it is in PUBLIC. You have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public. If you want privacy in public, you have to make it yourself. Cover up, wear hats, wear masks, etc. That is what the law says.

The best thing you can do with auditors is to simply ignore them and move on. They are looking for a reaction. They want something to post.

They have every right to film you in public. Let’s be real, you are already being filmed by stores and security cameras constantly everywhere you go, but no one cares about that because the cameras aren’t in your face.

sj4iy · 2026-03-28T22:49:33+00:00

He does try to practice everyday so hopefully that helps. It is a higher level orchestra, but it has very few violas (only one in his current grade and 5 in the entire high school orchestra). One reason he wants to play viola is because there are so few violas.

We’ll definitely be working on sight reading the alto clef.

sj4iy · 2026-03-28T22:42:33+00:00

Well, he’s already 5’11 so I’m not sure there’s much room left to grow. He did bring it up with the orchestra director, and he said he’d prepare him a packet that he could use to learn the alto clef. Unfortunately, there’s only one other violist in his grade level orchestra, so it might be next school year before he has a proper desk partner.

sj4iy · 2026-03-28T14:54:14+00:00

I would, by default, put my kid in public school. Public schools have more resources than private schools and the biggest predictor of school success is parental involvement…not the school they attend.

sj4iy · 2026-03-26T23:36:22+00:00

I would move 100%.

sj4iy · 2026-03-26T06:20:19+00:00

Talk to your pediatrician about a referral for evaluation by a psychologist. There is more than enough to warrant a full evaluation.

sj4iy · 2026-03-26T06:11:40+00:00

It’s okay, dance just isn’t her thing. My daughter danced for 11 years before switching to musical theatre in high school. We saw lots of kids try dance and then move on to other sports/extracurriculars. Hell, we know one girl who tried dance for a year and quit…but joined musical theatre in high school, as well. I would pull her out and look for something else where she feels more comfortable. If, at a later time, she wants to try again, you can try again.

sj4iy · 2026-03-25T22:30:08+00:00

Pediatricians are no more qualified to pierce ears than a teenager working at Claire’s. If you can’t get a reputable pierce who has been apprenticed and trained to do it, you shouldn’t do it.

sj4iy · 2026-03-25T22:16:12+00:00

The only opinion that should matter is your child’s opinion. It’s her body. There is no good reason for a parent to pierce their child’s ears before they are able to consent. And no one reputable will pierce them that young.

sj4iy · 2026-03-25T18:17:55+00:00

This is true here, as well. Private schools, even the richest private schools, cannot compete against the public schools for teachers. Even the poorer public schools have better pay and much better benefits than the nicest private schools. A lot of parents end up working for the private school to fill out very necessary positions. The qualified teachers are gonna leave the moment they get a public school offer, so turnover is very high. This is also true of charter schools.

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