Skip to main content

John Derek IEP Meeting/

John Derek is bairly passing 1st grade.  He is constantly teatering between failing and passing.  He does fine in every subject except reading.  This is a subject that he needs to survive in this world.  I have been worried about him.  The Lord has been directing me with what to do about hime and he helped me again.

When John Derek was almost 5 he was able to go to Kindergarten.  I felt that he was too young but the Lord told me I should send him so I did.  Half way through the year I took him out because again I felt it was the direction of the Lord and he needed one more year to truly be ready for school.

In Kindergarten that next year he was struggling with his ABC's.  He received extra help and by the end of the year he was back on track with the rest of his class.

In 1st grade I noticed that he started falling behind again.  I talked with my neighbror about her son and the difficulty that she has been facing because he is having trouble with his reading but that it was not identified a problem until 3rd grade.  I did not want this to happen to John Derek.  So I met with his teacher and others to discuss his education.  The Spirit really helped me during the meeting and I reiterated how he has already been held back once and yes he may be passing 1st grade but he should be in 2nd.  If he were in 2nd he would be failing.  They agreed to do some testing.

I went to another meeting to discuss the results of this testing.  Derek was at work but I felt the Spirit of the Lord with me.  I had sent a letter to the woman incharge explaining John Derek's history.  When I went into the meeting she said that looking at his scores she did not see a reason to consider having him evaluated for Special Education but agter reading my letter she really understood that maybe he did need help.  The team was very kind and went back and forth about having him evaluated.  We discussed several options.  They explained to me that by law I can request to have him evaluated 1 time in his school career.  Again, everything hinged on that he has already been retained.  They finally decided to not have him evaluated and to try more interventions.  I prayed to know if this was right and felt the reasuring of Heavenly Father that I had to stand up for John Derek and request that he be evaluated for Special Education. I knew that if we just did more interventions that I would be back at this table with more time gone and have to make the request so I requested that he be evaluated.  After saying that I felt a huge weight off of my shoulders.  As we left the meeting all the team agreed that they thought we were making the right decision.  I was so grateful to my Heavenly Father for helping me out and being right there to hold my had during this process and reasure me that I was making the right decision.

On the way home I was praying in gratitude and said, "Thank you for having me put him into Kindergarten that year I wanted to hold him back.  Without that on his record I wouldn't have a leg to stand on."  I was then reminded that I did not want to send him to school that first year and that I complained against the Lord's judgement and didn't understand why.  Then when I pulled him out I again questioned why I had put him in.  I was reminded the the Lord loves John Derek and has a plan for him and if I will trust in Heavenly Father everything will work out.  That I need to let the Lord do what He wants done.  I was then reminded about Elizabeth and how I don't like the school she is at.  I was told that the Lord has a plan for her that I may not understand it now but that she is in the Lord's hands and that she is there for a reason.  I may not understand why now but to let it go and trust in Heavenly Father.  I told the Lord I would stop complaining and would let Him do what He needs to do to take care of her.

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for being there for me.  For loving me and my children so much.  For taking care of us and haveing pateience with me over and over and over again.  What a blessing it is to have the Lord on my side. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WE ARE EXPECTING BABY #5

Yes, you read it correctly. The Thornton Family is expecting a new baby in Dec. 2012. We are very excited. Today we made the announcement to our 4 children and I am sure that each of you heard their screams of excitement. Maddison immediately told us that it was going to be a boy but then after a few minutes decided that we need one boy and one girl. John Derek would like the baby to be a boy so that he can have a brother. Samantha would like the baby to sleep in her room. Elizabeth would like the baby to have brown hair so that more kids in the family would look like her. Then the conversation turned to names. Here are some of their favorites: Elizabeth wants: Sarah, Eva, Evelyn, or Eve, and if it is a boy Phineas or Ferb Samantha wants: Sam or Ammon John Derek wants: Johnny Maddison wants: Cinderella and Johnny So here we go. Taking on a new adventure of 5 children with faith that we are following our Father in Heaven's desires for our family. In this last conference Pres. P...

Lessons from Friends/Faith

I had a fun visit with some of our friends yesterday.  We talked a lot and I learned a lot.  At one point she said that she has to rely on the Savior and the Atonement to make up for the love that she cannot give her children.  She loves them but her weaknesses do not always show that and she prays that they will feel loved through the Atonement.  I loved that idea.  In my life right now I am functioning good but not perfect.  I need the Atonement to make up for what I cannot give my children right now.  She also talked about how important siblings are.  That in China one of the problems with only having one child is that there are no aunts, uncles, or cousins.  The family network is gone.  How as parents we may not be able to give our children all the love that we would like but they are still getting loved from their siblings.  That as children we fought with our siblings but now as adults we are closest to our siblings. ...

Anniversary Day 3/Weaknesses can Become Strengths

We slept in again, oh so nice.  We didn't leave the hotel until 11:00.  We went to a local pancake place and had a scruptious breakfast.  We then went in search of apple orchards as this area is known as Apple Country.  We ended up at a place called Grandad's Apples. I was in 7th heaven.  We bought a full bushel of apples and then more for making apple sauce.  I loved it. We then went to down town Ashville and bought chocolates at the Chocolate Feddish.  Mmmmm . . . Then we headed home.  It was a wonderful time to be together with my best friend.  I am so grateful to my loving Heavenly Father for helping us have such an enjoyable anniversary.  We felt truly loved and blessed by Him. We enjoyed our 15th Anniversary and are looking forward to an eternity more. . . Book of Mormon, Ether 12:27 "27  And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weak...