Education | Lessons from my daughter

In a high school cafeteria.

Why is it that a table of football players is just that! A table of guys who play football together, they share a hobby which makes them spend time together so at lunch they sit together.

Same goes for the cheerleaders.

And so on.

In this jungle there is a table of kids with various abilities. The special need table.

Some people look at it as the place they (the special need kids) have to eat. You know because they don’t belong in the other groups…

I disagree. They don’t sit together because they don’t belong… They sit together because like the football players and the cheerleaders, they have something in common.

It’s a new year, they are 3 weeks in and getting to know each other.

Emily for the first time ever feels comfortable at lunch. She sits at her table. With kids kinda like her in some ways. One of the similitude being their challenge to connect and communicate with other kids their age. They need responsible adults with them for their safety as well as for extra help here and there.

It bothers me when I am told that my child should be included in whichever group she picks…

Life doesn’t work like that. If you are the uncoordinated nerd, you don’t make it to the cheerleader table or squad. It you are the guy in the school band, your chances are slim that you will be sitting with the football players.

I know, High School Musical and Glee told us its feasible. If you believe in yourself enough you can make it happen.

Blah blah blah

Do you ask your kid that feels comfortable being in the AV club to go get included somewhere else?

Do you tell your kid that being with like minded people is not ok, that it is a form of segregation?

Why should I tell my daughter that her table is a form of segregation?

Why do we, as a society, look at it as if our kids with special need are being excluded when in reality they are finally included?

Why can’t them having a table means that they have found like minded people?

They have, in my opinion, the best table.

No judging each other regardless of what is going on. Smiling, sometimes probably laughing. Over the years, they will get to know each other better… Emily might get invited to a birthday party or a BBQ. She might find a love interest and will most likely make life long friendship.

Not like yours or my friendships but still… Who’s to say her friendships won’t be awesome?

Being different is difficult. It’s difficult on Emily and its difficult for us to see her struggle.

She’s found a lunch table that accepts her for her! It’s not segregation, its a meeting of amazing like minded individuals.

Trust me when I say that they are having fun and connecting in ways that most of us will never understand…

And that my friends is why not everybody can sit at their table!

Last night was meet the teacher night.

Although Emily is 15, she doesn’t stay home on her own and hubby had a previous engagement for the evening so Emily and I went to school last night to meet her 5 teachers for her first semester of high school.

If you have read my last post A new milestone, you know Emily doesn’t want me to talk to her teachers as it is embarrassing…

I discovered last night that this seems to apply to one teacher which she particularly likes. I saw why in the 9 minutes we were in his classroom. He captivated his audience where other teachers didn’t really. He has this “teaching quality” you liked in your teacher when you were in school. I think she might find him handsome too but she denies it. 🙂

So, last night we met the teachers and Emily guided me in between her classes which was nice as it showed me that she knows where her classes are.

It did help put my mind at ease (a little) to see her navigate the school so easily and confidently.

I did something else last night before tackling the class visits.

I submitted my nomination to the PSSC (Parent School Support Committee)

If you’ve read my first day of high school post, you know I want to find a way to get involved at Emily’s new school so I am trying this.

From the PSSC’s website:

“The mission of the PSSC is to work with the principal to enhance student learning and development, and to enrich the educational experience of all children by increasing family and community involvement.”

Emphasis for me being the part about “all children”

Since way back when she started school to now in high school, she is my priority!

…

I did some digging and in reading more into it, here is what I found: http://pssc.weebly.com/about-pssc.html

You can get involved in:

Communications – Ensuring we have regular flow of communications to and from our parent community.
Educational outcomes – Examining how the school performing in terms of educational outcomes and learning where the challenges and opportunities are.
Health and Wellness – Examining where and how we can improve health and wellness of students and staff.
Exceptional Students – Looking at doing the best job in accommodating those at our school with exceptional needs.
Career Day – A very popular program for students.
PSSC Teaching Excellence Award – Approved in the 2011/12 school year, this new initiative will recognize a BMHS teacher who has shown exceptional teaching skills through the year.

I admit, my priority is point 4 – Exceptional students – but I see a need for all the others.

In preparation for last night, I printed a nomination form, filled it, got my seconder (another parent from the school) to approve my nomination and I hand delivered it.

Elections will be this month.

Wish me luck!

If this doesn’t work, I will find another way to positively impact the life of the exceptional students population of Emily’s high school… I will just need to find another way in! I am not giving up on this!

On a side note, thank you for clicking on my top mommy blog picture, so far you’ve made me #1 in the special need section of the site and as of this morning, I broke the top 50 for the entire site! Being on this website brings new traffic to my blog which helps me raise awareness for Emily’s syndrome! Thanks again for your support and help!