Well... We've been busy! Came home from the Tri-Cities on Monday after breakfast, and rushed through all the final preparations for this, the first week of school.
This was an interesting year, because all three of our kids who live and go to school with us (Tyler lives with his mom and goes to school up in Kent) were starting new schools this year! That meant just a tad more prep-time, just a tad more anxiety, just a tad more TLC to make sure everything went according to plan.
To top it off, Ellysa is in a different school district than Andy and Kaylee, and her school started on Tuesday, a day earlier than her siblings. She was SO excited to finally be up at the high school though, that she was up at 4:30am getting ready.
Ellysa is hitting her sophomore year like an Olympic swimmer! Not only did she start swim team practices in the middle of August, she wanted to take a third elective class, so she's taking a Zero-Hour to work it all in. Followed by after school swim team practice. As of tonight, we are four days into the school year. She had her first swim meet last night, and is playing in pep band at the football game tonight. Pretty much all we can say is....
"WOW!"
The next day was Andy and Kaylee's turn.
Andy, like Ellysa is going into 10th grade. Also like Ellysa, he is starting at a new school. But the twist there, as devout Keepers-Up With These Brinkerhoffs will know, is that for the past 2-plus years, Andy has done his schooling from home through Internet Academy. Toward the end of the last school year, he started getting more and more frustrated with the program. Believe me, it's a GREAT program! However, little things like not having a teacher RIGHT THERE to help out when you need it were wearing thin with him. There were times that he'd email a teacher a question, and it would take until the next day for a reply to come. If that answer didn't fully solve the problem, he'd have to write back again and start the cycle over. So a return to regular school was planned out.
Andy, like Ellysa is going into 10th grade. Also like Ellysa, he is starting at a new school. But the twist there, as devout Keepers-Up With These Brinkerhoffs will know, is that for the past 2-plus years, Andy has done his schooling from home through Internet Academy. Toward the end of the last school year, he started getting more and more frustrated with the program. Believe me, it's a GREAT program! However, little things like not having a teacher RIGHT THERE to help out when you need it were wearing thin with him. There were times that he'd email a teacher a question, and it would take until the next day for a reply to come. If that answer didn't fully solve the problem, he'd have to write back again and start the cycle over. So a return to regular school was planned out.
Andy's Asperger's Syndrome means that he needs some special accommodations at school, and as a result, the out-of-district school Ellysa goes to wasn't willing to accept him. That means he's going to our "neighborhood school" in the Tacoma district. Our experience with our neighborhood middle school did NOT go well, and is the reason that Ellysa is now in neighboring University Place schools, and Andy went into I.A. We are VERY happy to report that the high school is a completely different story! The transition was really smooth, and after three days of school - AND RIDING THE BUS - Andy is loving his decision to return to traditional school.
Kaylee has had the luxury of going to the same wonderful elementary school all the way from Kindergarten through 5th grade. Which made the prospect of leaving that safety net and going to a big scary middle school even scarier than it would have already been... (but not too scary, we learned our lesson and avoided our neighborhood middle school)
She's three days into her career as a middle schooler and is loving it! There was a little bit of locker combo trouble on the first day, but that's all ancient history by now!
As I type this, she is out with a group of her friends at a movie. Oh-so independent as a great big 6th grader!
Kaylee also had a big thing on Tuesday - her last day of Summer Vacation... Next time, on Keeping Up With The Brinkerhoffs!
Kids just growing up too fast...sigh. Andy looks quite handsome in his back-to-school gear.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures guys.
ReplyDeleteI learned about Aspergers years ago in Bend OR at a seminar. It was so interesting. I had never heard of it before, but it was a fairly new Syndrome. My friend ended up with 2 children with the condition. She also has a child with no eyes. Lisa knows her. It is so important to get understanding out there on this Syndrome. A very hard one for people to understand. Good job over there. :)
I am SO relieved that Andy is happy at school. It just broke my heart for him to be bullied the way he was. I knew that Ellysa would do well but it's still nice to read that she is. And way to go big 6th grader Kaylee.
ReplyDeleteLoves for everyone from Aunt Susan!!!!
Good to hear all kids are happy at their respective schools. So Cindy...are you enjoying your time off??
ReplyDeleteSo Cute! All of them! I'm glad it was a successful start of school for all.
ReplyDeleteSo Cute! All of them! I'm glad it was a successful start of school for all.
ReplyDeleteYes Donald I am! I was able to get all my laundry caught up and the bathroom cleaned, ran several errands and.... when I came home, my house was just as I left it!! yay me \o/
ReplyDeleteI hear that. I can keep up with the house a lot easier with them gone most the day.
ReplyDeleteFirst day of school...what wonderful times! Your children are amazing. I hope that Donald and I can raise our girls to be as responsible, mature, and respectful as your daughters are.
ReplyDeleteThey all look fabulous!
I hope that Tylers first day of school went well too!