First week of 6th grade

Jordan is off to a great start in his first week of middle school. I don't know a lot about it, but he says his teachers are energetic and friendly, and the other kids are welcoming and fun. I did find this piece of reflective writing in his folder (posted with his cheerful permission):

Sounds pretty darned good. And also it's just a nice piece of writing, compared to the old days when he had to work so hard to eke out a few sentences.

He has a complex schedule of classes in various buildings that changes every day and every week, because none of the classes meet every day, and they move things around so that specific subjects happen at different times of day. He carries a printed copy of that week's schedule around with him to tell him where to go. He explained to me that if he was to lose that, he could consult the copy posted on the wall in the main building; if that was not available he could ask another student, or if necessary a teacher. He seems very clear on everything. He has a planner, and a study skills class at which they organize their materials and learn how to manage everything.

Their study skills teacher shared with them that he is dyslexic, and explained what that has meant for him as a learner as well as how he used to be treated in school (he was not accommodated). He also explained how people that have special needs in one area often develop special strengths to go with it, such as persistence and creativity. Jordan liked this idea. When Jordan reported all this to me, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to tell him that he himself has some signs of dyslexia, including that it was harder for him to learn to write, and spelling is more difficult for him than for some people. We have never used the term with him before. Jordan was rather pleased with it and said, "That means I have other strengths." I agreed, and said his talents in building and music might be related.

Today was a service learning day, for the whole school: instead of regular classes, they bused the kids out to Lake Sammamish State Park to clear invasive blackberry brambles. He said, "At our school we will not only be learning things for our ongoing lives, but also we will be solving problems. They might be small problems like how to fix your own computer or big problems like some problem in the world. Today we are helping solve the blackberry problem." It rained a lot today and Jordan did not bring either a raincoat or a spoon for his yogurt; parent that I am, I worried that he would be miserable. But no: He had a blast. He used pruning shears and shovels and rakes, he learned that the plant grows back unless you excavate and chop up the root ball, he formed "Operation Kill It Here And Now" with a group of other kids, and he had the satisfaction of seeing a thicket of brambles cleared to nothing by the effort of his own team. It did not rain much and when it did he didn't care. He ate his yogurt with his fingers. He can't wait to do it again.