Time for first grade. So much happened, It was a terrible, long, depressing year. But to sum it up. DS's son was incredibly disorganized. I would get notes about events that had happened weeks before. I was designated room parent and never got notice about one meeting before it happened! She did allow me to "help" in class once a week. During that time I noticed her harsh attitude and the way she related to the kids. 5 kids were taken out of her class within the first 3 months and transferred to other classrooms. She just didn't seem to relate well and it was obvious she didn't like her job. 3 days in to the school year I wanted to pull him from the class but he begged me not to his reason being that our neighbor boy was in the same class. (He later told me that he hadn't wanted to hurt his teachers feelings) I went against my instincts and kept him in the class.
During that year many things happened. I noticed the work coming home seemed inadequate for his grade level. Most of the papers came home with big stars on the top or "GREAT JOB!" written on the top and I would look through the work and finding frequent mistakes that were not corrected. We began our workbooks at home again. DS began to withdraw rather quickly. He became even more quiet and wouldn't tell me about his day. He would simply say "It was good" What did you learn? "Nothing." He would reply (And looking at the work sent home that answer didn't seem far from the truth.
Every weekend would start out the same, he would be quiet and subdued for the most part, then come Sunday afternoon he would be more himself, laughing, joking (He has an awesome sense of humor, and is really quick witted) Sunday night at bedtime often he would cry (He is far from a crier, only crying if he is deeply upset or hurt badly) He did not want to return to school. He mentioned homeschooling and it got blown off. At that time, I hadn't thought about it in years and we were extremley busy preparing to open a business. I felt like I was losing him. I didn't know what he did for the majority of the day and when we were together we had to do homework and daily chores, sports, dinner and then off to bed. Things felt hopeless. I was sad, He was sad. Our entire family was suffering.
I could go on and on about all the different things that happened that year, the pointless assemblies, the propoganda, the principle running her own agenda, the way I saw and heard these "social" kids at recess. But I will get down to the clinchers. The things that made me feel scared to leave my son at school.
#1- The phone call I got from the secretary telling me that my son was found lying on the cement outside uncouncious. I later found out that he was pushed off the top of the slide repeatedly until he finally fell and hit his head HARD. No one knows how long he layed there uncounsious. He was found by a friend who had to alert the recess attendants who were chatting under the awning. He got a serious concussion from that one.
#2- This one is a long one so I will sum it up. DS was attacked on the playground. Repeatedly. (I have to note that he was not a victim of bullying, that these were seperate kids and this sort of thing happens reguarly, as tends to be the case when you leave hundreds of kids in the hands of two incapable chatty moms posing as school employees) Trying to make this as short as possible~ A boy that was not even supposed to be on the same playground as the rest of the kids was pulling flowers out of the garden area. DS saw him and told him to stop or he would tell. Ds started to run off and the boy jumped on him, Ds gets up the boy jumps on him again, this happened over and over again until the boy finally pinned DS to the ground, Sat on his stomach and held his hands over DS's mouth. Telling DS that if he told on him that he would kill him. At the same time a girl sees this going on and pushes the boy of of DS. The boy pulls the girls shirt up over her head and runs off.
DS and the girl run to the recess aides who tell them to go to the principles office.
I recieve a note home that day saying that DS was being punished for running on the playground which is against school rules. DS was in tears, hysterical about having been sent to the principles office. He was filthy, with dirt all down the front of him and a whole in the knee of his jeans. When DS calmed down enough to talk he told me what had happened. (No mention of DS being attacked in the letter at all) I called the principle right away and was told she was not told that the boy had put his hands on DS. That it really wasn't a big deal and that it was just a regular recess problem and now that DS knew he shouldn't run on recess that all would be fine. Later that night I learned of the little girl involved. I happened to know where she lived as we noticed them frequently on our trips to the park. The girls mom and I got to talking ( She had received the same letter as DS) and I found out the the girl had indeed told the principle that the boy had hit DS. (I hadn't doubted DS hadn't told the principle his side as he was really upset and it is hard to get things from him even when he isn't upset)
First thing in the morning I went to visit the principle and asked her why she had lied to me about knowing that DS had been attacked. She talked circles. No real answer for anything. She told me that the boy that had done this had problems at home and that he needed our support rather than punishment. (He was and is a constant offender at school and can be found in the office often throughout the day) I was upset for the simple fact that I felt like she was doing so much to protect this boy that was hurting all these kids and causing so many disruptions during the day (Even going so far as to lie for him!) and nothing was being done to protect all the children that were just trying to learn! There is more but this is too long as it is. I went to the school board several times. Wrote many letters and had many more visits with the principle. No progress was made. The only thing that came of it was that it was made known that if my kids needed to be in the principles office for ANY reason that I was to be called first so I could be there as well. The principle stopped making eye contact in the hallways and it became well known that I was the nosey mom in school who wouldn't let things go.
DS finished the year miserable, we all did.
