School Counselor

Abby stayed home Monday becasue she was so upset and Serena was unable to get her dressed and to school. We met the teacher and agreed to try harder today. Abby made the following list of problems:
1. At recess the kids chass me, and they run in to me, they are lowd.
2. At lunch the kids are lowd, they throw food, And they stare at me.
3. At class we have to do a hole lot of schoolwork.
4. At home we have to do a lot of homework to.

This morning after a lot of fighting we were able to get Abby dressed in her uniform. Katie went and got Abby's friend Fanney to walk to school with us. This did not help and Abby hid behind the bed and cried. Serena had to half carry half drag her into the hall and down the hall to the elevator. We met another family at the elevator and the mother held the door until we helped Abby in. For better or for worse this mother said she really didn't like this school either. Becasue we had to take Fanney to school Abby walked as far as the front of the school. We thanked Fanney forwalkign with us and she ran on ahead. Serena had to pull Abby by her arms up to the gate where Abby grabbed on with both hands crying and screaming that she hated this school and wasn't going. We stopped there to catch our breath. Everyone was staring of course. Now some of you readnig this are probably by this time saying , "What that child needs is good spanking!" but I really don't want her to be that upset about school. If she is scared to go and spends the day crying that is not benefitting anyone. After the other kdis went in we had to frag her by the arms into the building. She sat in the hall outside the office door and we stopped again. Every school has a policeman at the door. You have to show ID and give yoru address and they sign you in. This one was not helpful! She was teasing Abby that everyone was laughing at her. Said, "Look even your baby sister is laughing at you." (She wasn't! Lilly will pat your arm and hug you if you are upset.) Then she said, "Now your tardy and really in trouble." I had had it and said being tardy was really the least of my concerns we were doing fabulous to have even made it inside of the building today. A nicely dressed woman was in the hall and I asked if she worked inthe office. Abby had bolted every time I let go of her this morning, so I didn't want to leave her sitting in the hall and go to the office.
The lady came over and squatted down on the floor with us and ws wonderful! She was immediately sympathetic. She suggested we move to a room right there where we could talk and figure out what to do to help Abby. Serena had to once again drag Abby into the room, but there were comfy couches and we plopped down together and the lady sat down and Katie played with Lilly. The school counselor joined us soon after. Apparently this was her office. We went through the entire speal. Every single concern that Abby voiced the lady was willing to work to find a solution. It was never "you will just have to get used to that." The noise was the biggest concern she raised. The lady said Abby could bring a book to red during recess and didn't even have to go outside. There is no equipment but the teacher can take the class to the park across the street and their is equipment there. The kids can take balls and jumpropes and other toys to the playground when they go out. She did not have to eat lunch in the cafeteria where it is loud and the children throw food. They admitted that she does look different from the other kids but that there are other white children in the building, including Fanney in her class, and that she will always see people who are new or look different. Suspect the children are not chasing her but are running around screaming and this scares her. She is very upset about her friends back home and we agreed she could call them after school. She did not have to go to class today until she was ready. She could stay with the counselor and could stay in the office as much or whenever she needs to. The lady and counselor left for a while so Abby could explore the space with just us there. We looked at all the books and played with the stress balls and admired all the blank paper and art materials. There was baskets with board games and baskets with play doh. The counselor right away had ideas of things to try. She knew of some other quiet chidlren who were in other classes to introduce Abby to so she would know others inthe cafeteria and on recess. She offered to bring Fanney or other children down to her office so Abby could play with them in the quiet and secluded place. We explained that Abby had her new school supplies today and had all of her homework and make up work done. Abby told the counselor about her project for last week. She chose a giraffe and did a report complete with drawing. The counselor asked if she had a tour of the school and we said no so she took Abby to show her around the whole building. Abby asked to play Trouble and the counselor said she would play so I could get home to take care of Lilly and Katie. She agreed to talk to me again when I pick Abby up this afternoon and will meet us on the playground in the mornings for a while. We tucked a picture of me inside the plastic cover of her dictionary and Abby kept my charm bracelet to wear and feel the charms if she got upset or missed me.

We did not get a picture of the uniform today, the first day she has had the complete outfit, because her hair was a mess, and her face was red and wet. We will post one as soon as we have a good morning though.

School

Abby's Assignment Sheet

Week of September 27 - October 1, 2010 Homework Sheet
Vocabulary Words: muzzle, excited, pounce, greedy, excerise, escape, special, gnawing

MONDAY:
1. Write a paragraph about your favorite kind of pet. Include details that tell why you like this kind of pet.

2. Complete the compass rose worksheet and glue it in your homework notebook.

3. Complete Home Link 1.1 and 1.11

TUESDAY
1. Read the handout about pets that have special jobs, then answer the following questions. How do the pets that live with you or near you help people? What else can pets do to help their owners?

2. Use your dictionary to find vocabulary words #1-4. Write out the meaning of each word.

3. Complete Home Link 1.12.

WEDNESDAY
1. Read the story "Pets", then answer the following questions. What sounds does a parakeet make? What do parakeets use their sharp beaks t odo? Would you like to heave a parakeet as a pet? Why? Why not? How does pet ownership affect the economy United States?

2. Use your dictionary to find vocabulary words #5-8. Write out the meaning of each word.

3. Coplete Home Link 1.13

THURSDAY
1. Read the story "Pets", and answer the following questions. What do dogs do when they are excited? Why do dogs need to be taken for walks? What foods do rabbits like to eat? What special or unusual feature do hamsters have and what is it used for? Pet owners spend thousands of dollars each year on their pets. What are some of the products that people buy for their pets?

2. Place your vocabulary words in A, B, C order.

3. Complete Home Link 2.1

FRIDAY
1. Write sentences using your vocabulary words.

2. Complete your comprehension worksheet.

3. Complete math worksheet.

WEEKLY PROJECT (Due following Monday)
Choose one pet that you own or would like to own. Draw a picture, use a photograph of your pet, or cut out a picture from a magazine to show what your pet looks like. Decide whether you want to write in the first person or third person. An example of first person: I am a pet hamster. I live in a cage. I like to eat lots of seeds such as corn... An example of third person: Hamsters belong to the rodent family. They are kept as pets because they are so easy to take care of. Hamsters eat different types of grains such as corn... Write at least two paragraphs to tell how you take care of your pet, what food sor treats you give to your pet, and the type of toys you buy for your pet. Write a few sentences to tell about some of the challenges or difficulties involved in taking care of your pet.

Abby's School

Abby was home sick Thursday and then the nurse sent her home again on Friday. She cried every night this weekend because she did not want to go back. Monday morning Kevin was already gone and Abby flat out refused to get ready and go to school. She was crying hysterically. So she stayed home again and Serena called the teacher. After school, Serena took all 3 girls and went to the school. The meeting went well and the teacher encouraged Abby to participate and voice her concerns so that Serena and the teacher could help her. The teacher said that Abby has been cryign a lot at school and says she misses her old school and her friends. The teacher suggested we help Abby to call her friends. She has written to them with no response so this weekend we will try calling. Abby is upset by the noise and rowdiness of the students and the teacher said that this is just how urban schools are and that she had explained to Abby that urban schools are very different than rural ones. Abby has been complaining about the school work and the teacher exaplined that is becasue this is a gifted class so the expectations of the students are higher. Kevin and Serena agreed that this is what they wanted it is just different than Abby is used to. Last year she got perfect scores on every assisgnment and seemed to use little effort. The teacher explained that this class does not have the normal worksheet assignments but wants the students to perform at a higher level. The assignments are geared to make them think harder and not get bored. She showed Serena several examples of student's work and said there is a broad range of the abilities of students and the assignments are meant to be individualized as to each students current abilities. She also explained some ways Abby could complete her weekly projects without having to write a lot. Some students had lengthy well developed paragraphs and some had a few sentences. Some had fancy covers and some no cover. Some had lots of pictures that ranged from pencil drawing to colored drawings to photographs. Abby is still very upset but at least the teacher understands and is on the same page.

More Park Videos

New Friends

Katie and Abby made friends with 2 girls who live in our building. Both families came from Iceland a year ago, but are not related. Lena is 9 years old and plays with Katie. Franney is 7 years old and plays with Abby. They take turns going to each others apartments. They also go to the same school as Abby and Franney is even in the same class.

These videos are of our latest trip to Sakura Park. Franney (yellow shirt) and Abby (green shirt) are playing Frisbee. Lilly is playing in the sandbox and Katie is riding her scooter on the sidewalk around the park. I took a picture of the entrance sign but it did not come out very clear. I will try and get a better one. The park is named for the Japanese word for cherry tree. The trees were a gift to the United States from Japan and were planted in this park.

The last picture is of a tour bus. They go past all the time. The people sit on top which is open and take pictures of everything. I nthe summer a man stands in front of Sakura Park and the buses stop and he sells bottled water to the tourists. He has quite a successful business.

Kevin's Classroom

Now I know why Kevin couldn't just tell me about his room. You need some background information. His instructor (Greer) at Columbia has developed this program. The main classroom teacher is a PhD student and the 3 aides are Masters students. There are 8 children with autism and each is very low functioning and exhibits negative behaviors. Greer uses "learn units". This is each time a student gets direct instruction. I think in a regular classroom if a teacher calls on a specific student to read or answer a question this is a learn unit. There is supposed to be 1,000 learn units a day. I can't remember now if that is per teacher or per student, big difference. I couldn't believe that was even possible, but his second day Kevin recorded 500. (His first day he had 100 and really didn't understand what was going on.)

So, he has 2 students assigned to him. They are working on language and following one step directions. If the student responds correctly to a verbal command they receive a huge amount of praise and a positive score. If the teacher must demonstrate or model it hand-over-hand with the child the child gets no praise and a negative score. To show you the levwel of functioning he demenstrarted this with Lilly, who is 1 1/2. "Clap your hands. Sit down. Pat your lap. Stand up, etc." There are 20 commands and a student must get a positive for each of them before the teaher moves on to 2 step commands. The language is scored by holding up a flashcard. If the student says the name of the item they get praise and a positive. In order to get in 1,000 learn units the teacher must learn to go through the commands very quickly. The other things they do is sit the 2 students at a table and tell them to "play with the blocks" or "look at the books". The teacher then sits back and observes, marking a plus or minus every 5 seconds as to whether the child is actively engaged in the task or is doing other behavior, such as staring or flapping their hands. The child that bites generally bites his own arm but gets very close to your face when he does it which is extremely intimidating. The teacher is supposed to turn their head away and thus ignore the behavior and not give any attention. Challenging. Another student would lift his knee when sitting in order to hit himself in the head. The teacher intervened by pushing the chair under a table so the child could not lift his knee. Well, no surprise, now the child repeatedly bangs his head on the table.

I was wrong though and Kevin will change rooms every semester but will continue to be empoyed by the same school system. After earning his masters he will be the head teacher in a classroom. We are not sure what the other classrooms are like, compared to his. Tuesday nights class is to discuss the students experiences in the classroom, so he should know more tomorrow.

Incidently, if you read the previous post, he agreed whole heartedly that we are not going back to the enrollment office and will keep Katie home this year.

Recipes this week

Chili Macaroni
Cook 1 cup pasta. Brown 1-2 pounds hamburger with 1 diced onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Stir in 28 oz can of tomato sauce, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the noodles. Pour into a grease 9x 13 pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 375. Remove cover and sprinkle with shredded chedder cheese. Bake uncovered 5-8 minutes until cheese melts.

Tasted good. Really spicy! A little to tomatoey. Next time I will use slightly less tomato sauce.
****
Biscuits
Mix 3 cups flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 4 1/2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp cream of tarter, and 3/4 tsp salt. Cut in 3/4 cup shortening using 2 knives. Combine 1 egg and 1 cup milk and add to dry ingrediants. Form a ball and knead 10 times using as lettle flour as possible. Roll our dough 1 inch thick. Cut into circles (I used a mug to cut the dough). Place on baking sheet and bake 12 minutes at 450.

Best biscuit recipe I have found so far.
*****
Pork Chops and Wild Rice

Mix the seasoning and long grain and wild rice from a box with 2 cups hot water. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with pork chops. Sprinkle with pepper and paprika. Bake covered 1 hour. Mix cream of chicken or celery soup with 1/2 cup milk and pour over pork chops. Bake uncovered 15 minutes.

Really good.

A Call from the School

So, you know all the trouble we have had with the school system here. This morning Katie was doing online math worksheets and I was washing dishes when the phone rang. Katie was closer and answered it. No one has every called excpet my parents and Kevin's mom. Well, guess what, it was the enrollment office calling to see if Katie was in school. She answered their questions and gave me the phone as soon as she could. They said they were calling to see if she was in school and obviously she wasn't since she answered the phone. I explained that we were quite disgusted with the whole NYC schools and were home schooling her and I was in the process of submitting all of the paper work required by the Board of Education. I went on to explain what a pain in the butt the enrollment office has been and all that we have been through, since before leaving Illinois, in trying to get our girls enrolled in school. Well the lady acted ignorant of the struggles we have had and said that Columbia Secondary School could not refuse to admit students. I confirmed that is exactly what they had done and she said that she was going to call them and get that in writing, because they were not allowed to refuse students. Okay. Kevin is in school so I called Nana and asked what I should do if they now say, "Of course we will accept Katie." She said to hold firm with what we have planned. Well the enrollment lady called back and said exactly what I had explained to her in the last call. "Oh, this school only takes the top 10% of students and Katie was at a 50% in math. They are having to turn away students with excellent math scores so they certainly couldn't accept someone who was only in the 50 percentile." I said, "Yeah, that is what I just told you." And she said, "Oh but they liked her they wanted to take her. They even remembered her and talked about how nice she was and how Kevin was affiliated with the University." The enrollment lady even said that when she met Katie she seemed so bright that she had no reason to think her scores were that low. That is why she would only refer her to that school. (Since when can you judge someones grades based on the way they act when they meet you?!) She acted like she knew us and said she had signed the referal. Well, Kevin went to the office with Katie so she certainly did not know me and when he was there Kevin spoke to a man, so it was not this same person. She said, "Just come back in and we will sit down and find another school for Katie." I said, "Absolutely not we were done with the enrollment office." She said, "Oh but we can find just the right school for her." So, I said I would discuss it with Kevin when he got home tonight. The last time Kevin went to the enrollment office he said he is never going back. They treated him so rudely and seemed to be making it nearly impossible to get our children enrolled in school.

Abby had a good day at her school. She has LOTS of homework! Something in almost every subject. She took her lunch today. This school only serves chocolate and strawberry milk. I was really disgusted to hear that. I have heard that flavored milk has as much sugar as a can of soda. My kids only like white milk so she went thirsty. She said they have vending machines in the cafeteria and she could buy water for $1!! So, today we sent a bottle of white milk. Why with all the problems with obesity are we not only encouraging, but almost forcing, them to drink sugary drinks at school. That is ridiculous. If parents and schools serve healthy food and milk then kids will eat/drink healthy foods and milk. The people who first started that bit about "well at least they are drinking the milk" (when we add a bunch of sugar to it) were crazy. Okay, I will come down from my soap box and shut up and send my child's lunch and beverages each day.

On to Katie: We are focusing our lessons around history. This year is US History according to the NYBoE. We started with the Native Americans who lived in the US before the explorers arrived. We have a marvelous Social Studies series from the library. Katie learned how the Indians first came to the United States and how the nations were different based on where they lived. She read about the history and uses of pottery and made a clay bowl in art. In math she finished the work on place values on Friday and today began comparing whole numbers and decimals (greater than/ less than). We are still figuring out a good system and did not get to all subjects today. I hope by the end of this week to get a good schedule figured out.

First Day of School

First day of School

While we waited for the library to open we sat on the benches. They have these areas between the two lanes of traffic. Katie worked on a literacy assessment book. Lilly and Serena pointed out trucks and buses. Lilly would get excited when she saw one coming down the road but can't yet tell the difference between the two.

It is always nice to see these little birds.

Search for School Uniforms

We set out Thursday to get Abby's school uniform. This is a first for us so we were really not sure what we were looking for. Money is tight until Kevin gets his first paycheck so Serena located a Goodwill Store in Mahattan and she and the 3 girls set out. The address was 2196 5th Avenue. Serena looked it up on Mapquest and carefully copied down the directions. They started at 11:30 am and stopped at the school to find out exactly what Abby would need. They probably spent 30 minutes, maybe an hour there. They walked from 121st Street to Amsterdam and then down to 125th. From there they went East. This is a very busy street. There were lots of people walking and also just sitting on the sidewalks selling things. There were picures for sale, lots of President Obama and MArtin Luther King, also several stands selling incense, lots of food vendors with their carts. There was a man on every corner handing out advertisements for cell phones or offers to purchase gold jewelry. Serena pushed Lilly in the buggy and the girls kept up and they kept a quick pace. Serena was instructed by the college to keep your head up and maintain eye contact. Don't get out a cell phone or refer to a map or do anything to indicate you are new or distracted. We passed a store that advertised uniforms for 25% off and went in to look. All the stores in this town are very crowded and it was hard to fit the stroller in between the racks of clothes. Serena really wasn't sure what to get and wanted to spend the least amount of money possible, so they decided to keep going in case Goodwill had used uniforms for cheaper. A while later they passed the store the school recommended and again stopped to look. This store was called Lazarus. We bought the tie here because Serena thought it might be more difficult to find. $3.oo Abby has been clear from the beginning that she is NOT wearing a tie, but everyone in the school does. We looked at their selection and then set out again. We were the only white faces on the street. A single woman walking with 3 kids. Someone said "Oh what a nice little family." THis is similar to the movies where the light changes and a hoard of people all cross together. We began to realize that the avenues did not have numbers but names. There was no 7th Avenue or 5th Avenue and Serena had no way of knowing which one Martin Luther King Junior was. They came to Lenox which looked like a busy street so they turned down it and kept going looking for some indication of where they were. The girls were tired and kept saying "We are lost. We are so far from home. Mom doesn't know where we are." After several attempts to hush them Serena finally got face to face and said she did not feel very safe and the girls were just announcing it on the street that they were vulnerable and inviting some one to come up and start trouble. They quit complaining so loudly. At one corner were a bunch of men standing together and Serena was really nervous to pass them. They were supposed to turn down 132nd, but it looked very empty and looked like apartment buildings on either side of the street. They started down it and then Serena got to nervous because the street was empty, very unusual here, there are people everywhere, so they turned around and went back to Lenox. The girls were thrilled to see a Mc Donalds and everyone was exhausted and their feet hurt so we stopped. Serena spent $2 and let each girl get a cheeseburger. There first since leaving Carbondale! They all sat and rested their feet and used Katie's cell phone to look up the map again. It said to turn on 132nd Street and then onto 5th Avenue. It looked like 5th Avenue was the street after Lenox. We set off again and turned onto 132nd and again Serena really was uncomfortable going down it so theyturned around and began the trek home! We were probably within 2 blocks. Everyones feet hurt. Thankfully Lilly slept most of the trip. When we passes the store LAzarus agian Serena asked Abby iof maybe we should just buy the jumper now. Abby wanted to go straight home but no one wanted to have to make the trip again to go back for it so the girls agreed to stop. Abby wanted a skirt and we picked one out in her size. We asked the clerk if there was a place to try it on and she suggested Abby just pull it on over her shorts. So we all squatted down between the racks of clothes and pulled the skirt up and the shorts down and it wouldn't fasten. We tried another one and it also wouldn't fasten. We could not find any bigger sizes so Serena suggested trying the jumper because it would not be gathered at the waist. Thankfully the first one we tried fit and Abby loved it! She spun around in the aisle and modeled it for Katie and Serena. We made our last purchase of $9 and went home as fast as we could. We got home at 3:30pm. According to map quest the route we took is 2 miles and takes 6 minutes by car. It felt like we had walked ALL DAY!!!

I couldn't get the map to copy but you can look it up if you are curious. From 509 West 121st Street NY, NY to 2196 5th Avenue NY, NY. If we ever do this again we will know the street signs do not give the avenue number an important detail.

We still have to get the white blouse and eventually the sox or tights and the shoes.

Thankfully on Friday they could dress casually and Abby remembered that she had a white shirt from Grandma Hickman that will work until we go back and get the blouse.

You just don't know. Perhaps we were perfectly safe but it was Serena's scariest venture yet. We won't be going back down 125th for a while.

PS 36 Curriculum

Abby's teacher is Ms Broomfield. She came to America from Jamaica when she was 23. She has 15+ years teachingfrom 1st grade to high school. This is her first time teaching 2nd grade. We were pleased to learn that this is a gifted class and the teacher has high expectations of the students. We were also pleased to learn that she believes in the early childhood style of teaching. Serena completed coursework at SIU in early childhood education. This is a more developmentally appropriate way of teaching children through 3rd grade, then an elementary teacher is taught to lead class. The desks were arranged in groups of 5 or 6. There was a rug in the corner of the room and on either side against the walls were shelves with baskets containing books, in easy reach while sitting on the rug.



School doors open at 8:40 am. The teachers come out to the playground to get the children. Abby is in class 203 and room 307, which is in Unit 1.



The kids have to label each assignment and do each on a seperate sheet of paper. The teacher likes their work to be need and organized. They use composition notebooks all year and have a homework sheet. The class is taught at a 3rd grade level. She has themed units and right now they are doing the farm. Interesting, these children have no clue about a farm and the teacher said she has had a hard time explaining where food comes from before it gets to the store. I said Abby could teach them a lot about farms.



They are doing land animals next week, then pets. The teacher stresses comprehension, explain it in your own words, rather than rote memorization. She doesn't believe in tests in the normal sense of the word. She said parents need to remember that these are still young children and that we overtest as it is. Two parents were not happy and expressed displeasure about this practise. The teacher said when you say we are having a test children stress and do poorly. There are other ways to measure progress. The point is not to just pass a test but to learn and understand.



They do a lot of group work. They study the same topics in math just at a higher level. Social studies is heavily emphasized. This month is our community, reading maps, learning carindal directions. Next month in New York city, comparing urban and rural. (The history of NY is a requirement for all students by the Board of Education. Katie will have to do this as well.)



The teacher has introduced multiplication and is having the students look for patterns.



The children are beginning to use cursive. When the teacher thinks at least 1/2 the class is ready she will beginning teaching it.



Abby will need a good dictionary and should carry it back and forth between home and school.



The class goes on as many field trips as possible. Their first trip is October 17. They will ride a bus.



There will be 5 enrichment classes with different teachers. Teacher has not learned yet what for their class, but definately dance class on Wednesday and Music on Friday. We are thinking they don't have physical education.



Teachers only got $110 this year to spend on their rooms so parents may be asked to help purchase books during the year. Last year they got $250 per classroom.

She does not have a discipline policy because she has no discipline problems. If the need arises she will address the issue on an individual basis.

The homework assignments can be done at any time during the week. There is a mini project about the unit due the following Monday.

Scooters

Katie has been dying to get a scooter. She wanted one before we left Illinois. They are very popular here and we have seen lots of chidlren riding them. She decided to babysit children in the building to earn money and also asked for a scooter for Christmas from both grandmas.

Yesterday the community assistant Stephanie called and said there were 2 scooters in the trash/recycle part of the basement that were thrown away when cleaning out a closet and we could take them if we wanted. So of course we threw on our shoes, left Lilly with Abby, and Serena and Katie ran down to the basement and saved the scooters. Each girl has one now and Katie is tickled pink! The hills here make these a pretty fun toy. Some of you may remember Jennifer's scooter accident, stitches, and scar from childhood. Hopefully we don't have any major injuries here. We quickly learned not to ride the scooter wearing flip flops!

Kevin's New School

Unfortunately Kevin's introduction to his new school did not go as well. He was up all night worrying about it the night before so was tired to start off with. The roads and bridges and tolls and parking all add tremendously to the stress. He has spent a long time comparing routes. He had to have cash to pay the $8 toll to get back into the city each day. The van was almost empty when he left town and he stopped to get gas before leavingthe city. The gas pump would not take his card and it was also refused inside the gas station so we drove on into New Jersey. He didn't want to stop at the ones between the interstate lanes because gas was $3.19 there so he went on to his school. He had planned to eat at school and did not pack anything. He had a $20 bill for the toll and his debit card for the gas. The vending machines only took $1 and he didn't want to have to spend so much as they charged for the school lunch, so he went hungry all day. On the drive home he stopped at a different gas station that did accept the card and he was able to get gas. Amazingly he had no problems entering the city. Usually the traffic is stopped waiting to get onto the bridge. He was starving and exhausted when he got home. Dinner wasn't done yet and we had to leave right away for orientation at Abby's school, then the fire in the building. But we finally got home, ate supper, and he told us briefly about his class.

There are 8 students a teacher and 2 or 3 aides. The students are autistic and have some severe behvaior issues. Kevin was really disappointed because he does not want to work with autism and actually this is the reason he applied at Columbia instead of accepting a position in Massachusettes our original destination. I imagine we are going to have lots of discussions about the appropriateness of sending severly disabled students to a regular public school. Learning cannot take place when you have children that scream, bite, hit, and masterbate in class. This is a group of boys in 3rd through 5th grade. Previously Kevin has worked in special education rooms with children from 3rd grade through high school who have learning disabilities. His main interest is Teacher Education and to some degree Special Education. Autism is a field in and of itself. The classroom experience is part of earning his degree and he does earn a paycheck so hopefully he can ride this out. This weekend he will have a chance to tell more about what he will be doing and what the room and main teacher are like. He may have found 2 others to carpool with which would save a lot of money on tolls. You get a discount if there are at least 3 people in the vehicle.

Abby's New School

This is the front of PS 36. The Margaret Douglas School. I will have to research who Margaret Douglas is. The building is on a hill from the street and there is a stone wall against the edge of the hill. The families gather in front of the school and there are large rocks to sit or climb on. Ther entrance is completely gated and all of the playgrounds are securely fenced in.

Abby took this picture in the office of the unifroms. Younger grades wear navy blue. Third and fourth wear khaki. This is a picture of the main street, Amsterdam, that goes along the side of the school. Just to give you an idea of the traffic. There are crossing guardsto help families cross though.

These are the playgrounds. The area with benches is outside the school yard and along Amsterdam Street. You can see the rock walls here though.

Serena took the 3 girls and saw the school for the first time on Thursday. Everyone was very nice to her. It definately takes some time to get used to the police at the entrance of every school! You have to show ID and give your address and they sign you in and direct you where to go. Serena filled out some more forms and got more information about the uniform.

Thursday evening was orientation. This was the same night as the bad storm (and the fire!) but thankfully the rain let up some before it was time to go. While enterign the school we met a family that lives in our building and of all the amazing things the girl is the same age and in the same class as Abby! Hert name is Fannie, but with their accent it sounds like Fawn ee' (like the long a at the end of Renee') We really tried to understand it when the mother told us, but it wasn't until the teacher called her Fannie that we were able to understand the sound. Anyway, we met in the cafeteria and the principal introduced herself and then we went to the classrooms and the teachers spoke and answered questions. Very nice! Nice introduction to the teacher and room and school before we started attending. I will write more details on another post for those who want them. Very glad to get this settled and Abby to be so happy.

The Woody Shuffle New York Style

The Enrollment Center, September 2.

The woody shuffle refers to the unorganized admissions process at Southern Illinois University. Woody is the main building but students are shuffled from building to building and floor to floor because nothing is organized and no one knows anything except their specific job. The New York City public school system follows this same admissions process. I know this is repetitve for most but it is part of our story so I am repeating it all. The shuffle began several months ago in Carbondale, IL. Once we knew for sure we were goignto New York, originally it was Massachusettes, Serena began looking for schools for the girls. She was connected with the Placement Office and met Hazel, a wonderful woman from Chicago. She was tickled that we from both from Illinois and thus began a good relationship. She explained the school system and recommended PS 125 for Abby and Columbia Secondary School for Katie. Serena was unable to get ahold of any one at PS 125. She did speak to someone at the Secondary School who informed her that their classes were full. She explained that they have a very strong academic program and their admissions process was rigorous. An application must include test scores, the last report card, and references. Kevin called Hazel back adn explained that Columbia Secondary SChool would not take Katie and asked for a different referral. She refused to give one and said that we had to get Katie into the Secondary School. The school said no so things came to a halt. Our only option was to apply once we got to the city as a new resident and the school may accept her application at that time. We continued to try to get ahold of the elementary school so we get get information on Abby's supply list and inquire about school uniforms. We never were able to speak to anyone there.

Okay, then we arrive in New York. The placement offices are closed for the 2 months surrounding the start of school. I am still unable to figure out the reason for this. We found a brochure on line that directed us to an emrollment center on 93rd. The office opened August 31, school started September 8. We drove to the enrollment office, directions in hand, and are unable to find the building. The parking here is a mess and we arrived close to 11am, the time the streets are closed for cleaning. We parked anyway and a person on the street said it was in our best interest to either double park or move. So we moved. We parked again, risking a ticket, and on foot set out to find the building. As it turns out the enrollment office was actually in a school. We thought it was an office building. We were greeted at the door and given some papers to fill out. Then we went into an auditorium where we were asked what forms we brought. Then we went to the stage and signed in and got a number. When our number was called we were asked to produce the forms we had brought. At this time we were told that we could not register becuase we did not have 2 forms with our address. We explained that we had only arrived in the city that weekend and thus did not have utility bills or pay stubs yet. They did not care and we had to leave without registering the kids and with no more information abotu the schools. The only good news of the day, we somehow avoided a parking ticket! When we got home Kevin called the power company and explained the situation. They agreed to mail us a statement that said we lived at this address. Then we set out to wait until the letter arrived in the mail. The university gave us a letter that also stated we lived in student housing at this address.

This was September 2, 2010. The first day of school came and went.

We spoke to other families in the apartment building and were also introduced to a father at church and we listened to everyones advice about the schools. Everyone agreed that we should not go to the public schools in our district. Of the families we spoke to in our building one goes to private school and the other to a Jewish. Neither are options for us. The church man gave Kevin a few schools in a better district to try.

Our letter from the power company arrived on Friday, September 10.

Monday all 5 of us set out for the recommended schools. We walked from 121st Street to 109th Street. We were given a number and waited in the hallway with other parents. The only white family. When our number was called Kevin want into the officeand spoke to the staff and principal. The sixth grade class was already full but we inquired about enrolling Abby. They are a gifted program, not a problem, and the class is dual-language. They asked what Abby's level of proficioncy is in Spanish. She has none. The principal said since she is so bright she could probably catch on and do okay but he wanted to speak to the classroom teacher first and make she sure was okay giving Abby extra help. We were supposed to call him back on Friday. Another week of school would be missed. Kevin asked what he thought we schould do and the principal said as a professional he has to tell us to go to our district school, but as a parent he would tell us to wait and get the girls in the schools we want.

Since sixth grade was full there we went to the middle school next door to inqurie about Katie. Their application process was similar to Columbia Secondary School, but they needed a referral from te Placement Office.

The next day Kevin took Katie back to 93rd Street, on foot this time!!!! He says they were treating really badly from everyone fromthe person asking he did he want to resufing to give him the referral even after he explained he had talked to the school. Once again the placement office would only give us a referral to the Secondary School. So, Kevin and Katie walked there, 123rd Street, and once again he was told she could not attend there. They asked Kevin why he thought they would take his child and he told them exactly why he thoguht Katie deserved to attend their school. They gave her a brief entrance exam in math and confirmed that she was unable to attend. They only accept the top 10% of students.

Poor Kevin, then went to the elementary school in our neighborhood to inquire about enrolling Abby. He stood in the office for 15 minutes and not a single person acknoweledged him or offered to help. He was so disgusted that he left without speaking to anyone.

He came home banging his head against the elevator and ready to scream or cry. He could not believe this city would make it so impossible to enroll your children in school. Serena and Kevin discussed the days events and agreed that homeschooling Katie was the only option.

The next day, Wednesday, Kevin and Abby set out to interview the other elementary school in the neighborhood. We had been weighing the pros and cons of the dual-language program but wanted to try and gather more information in case that did not work out. They came home later in the morning and both loved the school. That settled it. Both kids have found a school! Kind of makes Southern Illinois' shuffle seem easy! At least all the buildings are in the same area! How many miles did Kevin walk in the last 2 weeks? Even with all of our work, even before arriving, the girls missed 2 weeks of school and we never did find a public school that would admit a regular 6th grader.

First NY Thunderstorm

It sprinkled on us Sunday on the walk to church. But this was a real rain storm. The pictures are from our apartment and aren't real clear, sorry. The whole city is hilly so the water ran down the street in waves. It was really neat to watch. Lilly learned to say "Rain" and when we said "Look it's raining" She would reply "Oh, no." She wanted to stand by the window so she could see it. Thunder and lightening here and a tornado warning for other parts of the city.

First Haircut

Lilly's first haircut! Daddy held her head still, Katie took pictures, and Serena cut.

Fire Scare

Sorry no pictures.

We all five went to the orientation at Abby'sschool tonight at 6pm. We were walking back, it is only around the block and there were firetrucks and ambulance everywhere. The closer we got the more afraid we got. Lots of people. with thier pets standing in the street and gathered across the street. Firemen and police everywhere. Ambulance guys waiting with stretchers. We got as close as te front of our apartment and were stopped and told to go across the street. They then told us to go into the building next door so the kids would not be outside. Kevin stayed outside and tried to get information. Serena was really scared about the pets inside. When Abby realized what was happening she cried really hard and both Katie and Lilly hugged her and tried to comfort her. Kevin came back prettty quickly and said the ire was in 707 and our apartment was okay. Thirty minutes or so later we were able to go back inside. All is okay now. We moved our cat carriers to the coat closet by the front door, where we store the leashes so they will be faster and easier to get to in case this happens again. No word on any damage, but I don't believe their were any injuries. Someone saw smoke coming out of the balcony doors and called the fire department. Perhaps someones dinner burnt?

Broadway Presbyterian Church

We had passed this church on our bookstore tour and it is the first Presby church we had found in the area. When we got back home Serena looked at their website and we all agreed to go this past Sunday.

It began raining on the way there, a walk down Broadway from 121st to 115th, so Kevin ran back tothe house to get an umbrella. Serena and the girls were wamrly welcomed by the usher who briefly explained their children's programs and offered to show them the nursery when they were ready. While we waited by the entrance for Kevin to arrive, the pastor and liturgist also came up and spoke to us. The church doors open to Broadway and they had the doors propped open. It was raining and everyone was standing in the foyer watching the rain and visiting. We felt at home right away. Both women were very kind to the girls. The liturgist explained to them that she was doing the children's message and also told them about Sunday School, which will be starting next week. The pastor told Katie what the sermon was going to be about and how it related to her life and she suspected Katie's as well. Serena was really impressed because it drew Katie in and also gave her things to listen for during the sermon. When Abby saw Kevin coming she yelled something like, "Here comes Daddy!" Serena reminded her to be quiet because people were getting ready for church and the pastor said, "We love excitment from children." She encouraged all 3 girls to stay in church.

When Kevin arrived the usher showed us, not gave directions but actually took us there, the nursery. We had already decided Kevin would stay with Lilly since we didn't know, or trust yet, the nursery attendant. Abby stayed also.

It was a small congregation of about 35. The deacons (3) were ushering and were introduced. The choir had 4 members and they sat amongst the congregation. During the hymns they stood in the aisles and led the singing. There was a balcony that went all the way around 3 sides of the sanctuary and banners were hung from this balcony. Serena's mom made banners for a previous church and Serena thought of her right away.

The liturgust did the children's message and Katie went up with the girl sitting in front of us (Emma age 7). She spoke about the lost sheep and the lost coin and then asked if the children had played Hide and Seek before where they had hidden so well they weren't found. How it can be scary and you don't know whether the others are still searching for you and whether to continue to wait or to reveal yourself. Seh said how it seems to make more since to take the ones you have and go on instead of going back to look for the one thing you are missing. Then she explained how God is silly and will always take the trouble to come back to find us. In the prayer she specifically mentioned each girl and thanked God for His "Almighty silliness."

During the welcome the pastor said, "There are no visitors in God's kingdom."

Sermon" She talked about the Sunday after 9/11 the churches were filled and the following Sunday they were empy. People were asking, "Where was God?" Talked about athiests and the fool who says there is no God. She said why work that hard
to refute something you don't believe exists. The God people don't believe in does not exist. Talked about where people learn about this type of God, from movies, their own upbringing, mentioned several other things. She said in scriptures they can only hear judgement and not hope. She said people are able to recognize the devil in themselves and also the angel in each of us, yet we are unable or unawilling to acknowledge the fool in us. She talked about the world's fool who searches for power and recognition. She said God recognizes the fool in each of us and loves us more.

Offering was collected and placed on the alter. (At Riverside Church as the ushers brought the plates forward, the congregation would rise as the ushers passed while singing the doxology, when the reached thefront everyone was standign and singing, very neat.) The plates were left on the alter.

Prayer: Liturgist lead the prayer and the members of the congregation were encouraged to voice their own joys and conerns as well. She repeated each one into the microphone so all could hear. She walked close to the congregation as she spoke, instead of standing away ata pulpit.

Benediction:"Go forth and be a fool for God."

We collected Kevin, Abby, and Lilly and discovered that they had a nice conversation with nursery attendant and had gained a lot of information. She walked down to fellowship with us and introduced Kevin to a man in the church. (Coincidently the father who sat in front of us who Katie I had met and spoken with.) He is Emma's father and also has 2 other daughters. The men spoke about the problems we have had with the school systems and he gave Kevin a great amount of information and helped us develop a plan for the next steps to take. Again I was very impressed, she actually took us over and introduced us rather than just say a name or not even try to help.

Sylvia, the nursery attendant, also gave me information on the Girl Scout troops that meet there. Serena had been trying to get ahold of someone at council to find troops for the girls.

Before we left the pastor spoke to us again about where we came from and how we were adjusting to the city. She told us about some intergenerational activities they have planned for this fall and offered to send us a newsletter for parents in the church.

Lilly's favorite part was watching 2 pet snails climb in a glass aquarium full of soil. She also liked going down the slide in the nursery and would say, "Wheee!" Each time she sat down at the top. Abby made a friend, Cameron age 10, in the nursery. The girls liked this church much better and commented on how much friendlier the people were here.

During fellowship at the previous church the woman was quite put out when we asked if they had any water to drink. They were only serving coffee. We were told no. At this church the kids had glasses of milk to go with their cookies. A small point, I admit, but it made an impression on us. It is not the drink but the attitude with which it was served.

Broadway PResbyterian

9/11 and Riverside Church

Saturday morning was the knitters group at Riverside Church. Kevin took the 3 girls across the street to explore a new park and Serena went to knit. She enjoyed being a part of the knitters group, Yarning to Make a Difference, at the Presby Church in Carbondale and was eager to meet some new friends here. The group was made up of 6 women and met on the 6th floor of the church building. Serena didn't feel comfortable yet photographing the inside of the church although it is absolutely amazing. Here are two photos of the entrance though. The building is huge and this is just the decoration around the door.

Today is September 11 and when you live in Manhattan it takes on a whole new significance. All of the TV channels covered the event this morning and the general message was not of anger but of pain. Vice President Biden came to the service held here in New York. There is a memorial with a never ending flame at Battery Park. They are buildign new buildings at Ground Zero and at the sight of the original towers will be huge water fountains. At knitters the women spoke of the medical care still needed by the workers that day. The men from the power company are still receiving medical care for breathing in the dust and are also receiving counseling services due to the trauma they witnessed that day. We have not ventured that far from home and Kevin did not want to try today when it would be very crowded, but we watched the events on the television. They replayed lots of news coverage from that day and the girls, Katie too young and Abby not born yet, had lots of questions.

Tomorrow is Sunday again and the family is going to visit a Presbyterian Church they found while looking at bookstores. This new church is on Broadway. Kevin later found another Presby Church on Morningside so they may try it the following week.

Sugar Cookies

We made sugar cookies on Saturday. Abby did a fabulous job mixing the dough and it was perfect for cut out cookies. All 3 girls had fun picking out cookie cutters and decorating the baked cookies.

Katie offered Lilly a blue cookie for a first taste.

Lilly picked a green dinosaur and ate on it all day. She would scrape some icing off on her finger and eat it. Then put it back in the cookie box and later in the day take the same cookie back out and eat more icing off the top then put it back in the box again. She never did eat the actual cookie.

Abby shows off the finished batch. There are hearts, a teddy bear, a star, a car, a dinosaur, a flower, a fish, and probably some others. Kevin likes his plain so we left a few uniced.

Purple Peppermint Play-Doh

Today we made peppermint play-doh. The recipe called for red food coloring but the girls wanted to use purple instead. When we showed our creation to Kevin we realized what a cool name it had.

Katie models one of her new shirts from Grandma Hickman.

Play-Doh Recipe:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 cup water

1 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp cream of tarter

1 tsp peppermint extract

food coloring

Mix food coloring with water and then add all ingredients together in a saucepan. Heat and stir until dough forms a ball. Cool slightly.

Play Time

Tiger takes a rest on Lilly's toy shelf. Abby and Lilly worked great together and made this nice block tower complete with wooden animals.

Curtains have been aproblem because the windows are so large and there aren't curtain rods. Kevin was able to fix this one over the girls window to help block the direct sunlight and Lilly enjoys hiding behind it.

Lilly is mimicking her big sisters and is sprawled out on Katie's bed pretending to play her DS while Abby does the same on her own bed.

Play Room

The play room was a unexpected surprise when we arrived at the building. The first picture is Abby cleaning the apartment in preparation for a friend coming over. We all pitched in, but she made for a cute picture. She met the girl in the play room and they became fast friends. Same age and she lives directly under us.

When you enter the building you turn right and go past the police desk and down the stairs.
One side of the room is lare and empty perfect for riding bikes or scooters. There is a couch and a TV. It is the coolest room in the building and was a great escape from the hot apartment during those last days of summer.

The other side of the room is full of toys for kids of all ages. Lilly especially likes the riding toys although she cannot move her feet to push the toys around yet.

This has been a great place to meet other children and parents in the building. Most of the families we have discovered have very young children, but there are a few school agers. There is lots of diversity and we have only met a few other families from the United States. Our next door neighbors are from California and have a daughter a few months younger than Lilly. It has been interesting to learn about these other countries and to hear so many different languages spoken. Abby's new friend is from England. Our community assistant is from Argentina and another family with older children is from Iceland.

Buildings and Lobby

This is the lobby of our building. When you enter the doors there is a desk on your right where a policeman or woman is present 24 hours a day. Past their desk is the mailboxes and the entrance to the play room. On your left is a study lounge and the maialbox to send mail. Straight ahead is the elevators. You must have a university ID card or sign in at the desk.

These are just some neat looking buildings when you walk down Broadway.

Okay, Seinfeld fans. Is this not the restaurant where the characters always meet?! On the other side it says Tom's Restaurant in the same style of letters.