Monday, June 23, 2008

ESY day one

I fought so hard for ESY services (Extended School Year, i.e. summer school), that I think I worked myself up into a tizzy once it was approved. My brain just stopped working.

Today was Jaysen's first day of ESY. I thought I would be excited, but I realized this morning, just how unprepared I was for this. I realized that there while we worked diligently for a transition plan into 2nd grade, we negated to set one up for ESY. Will there be an aide on the bus? Will there be someone to walk him in and show him which room to go to? How many kids are in his class? Does he even have a class? Why I didn't think of these things until the day of, I just don't know.

I had been trying to prepare Jaysen for the past few days- talking to him about the "summer learning" program (we're avoiding the word "school" to keep confusion and meltdowns to a minimum), what days he would be going, and for how long.

This morning, he told me, "I'M NOT GOING TO SUMMER LEARNING!"
Wonderful.
He carried on about how he was NOT going today, and I had visions of carrying him into the school kicking and screaming. And I mean me kicking and screaming.

The bus was over 30 minutes late. I debated if I should drive him.
Finally, the bus pulls up in front of our house.
"Jaysen! Bus! There's the bus!" (*grit teeth and lower center of gravity to steady kid-catching stance*)

To my surprise, Jaysen bolts out of the door, running toward the bus at top speed. He stops in the doorway and is announcing something to the driver. I don't know what it was because I'm leaping through the grass, in my high heels, with his backpack flailing, trying to catch up to him.

He whips the backpack on and (literally) jumps onto the bus. I enter the buss to give him a kiss goodbye, and tell him to have a great day.

"Okay! Bye Mom."

" ? "

I have no idea what flipped the script.

Companion said that Jaysen was in good spirits when he came home, so he either liked it, or he thinks that it was a one-time deal, and won't have to go back tomorrow. I'm in trouble if it's the latter.

6 comments:

Ashley's Mom said...

My daughter does ESY every summer, well at least every summer since we won due process. It has its ups and downs. There is more casual attitude on the part of the school sdministration. Things such as you described - bus aides, class sizes, etc - are often ignored. When we are lucky enough to have good bus drivers and aides, good teachers, good interpreters, the summer can go really well. If not, it can be worse than a bad regular school year. So far, the good times have outweighed the bad though.

I hope Jaysen's summer program goes well. Please keep me posted.

Deborah

Jodi said...

Kellen starte ESY today too! It's was his first time in school since May 2007. He didn't really go to "school" though, we worked out a summer work program and community outing type thing instead.
Crossing my fingers, but so far, so good!

Anonymous said...

Whew! I am so glad that he got on the bus and did so happily! I hope the program goes well.

Julie L. said...

Goodness, I can completely identify with panic of not being prepared for transistions, the visions of kicking and screaming and the bafflement when "the script flips!" I'm glad things went smoothly the first day and hope that they continue to go that way for the summer.

Jerry Grasso said...

Well, tell us more!

kristi said...

TC goes to daycare and ESY. The ladies who run the ESY run the bus as well...he loves it! He will tell me some days, "I AM NOT GOING TO SUMMER SCHOOL!" But once we get out the door, he is fine.

Hope it goes well for you all.