FINALLY FRIDAY!

[Nasoosie]

GOOD MORNING ALL YOU CAMPERS!!

Friday at last! It's been a long week.

I found out, inadvertently, yesterday that our room is about to get yet another student, making our population up to 15 kids now......15 kids with serious disabilites, mostly emotional ones. This kid, a boy who qualifies age-wise, is being sent up from the middle school as all the teachers over there have washed their hands of him and his father is begging the high school to take him over. He is legally blind, and has horrendous hostility and anger problems to begin with. What his intellectual abilities are hasn't even been discussed as yet. We were just beginning to get some of the worst hostility and anger problems in our room smoothed out a teensy bit, and now here comes real trouble for our kids to have to deal with. To top it all off, I wasn't going to be told about this change until he showed up! I overheard a conversation, and found out that way. This is just another occurrence that makes me feel like just a caretaker who doesn't need to be informed of any changes in advance, or included in any discussions or evaluations of our kids. And yet, I am the one who has more hands-on and brain time with many of them than either of the other two in the room, including the head teacher.

If I can't get some perceptural-motor training for one student who can't tell up from down and right from left and clockwise from counterclockwise, he will remain a non-reader for the rest of his life. Telling such a person to 'read carefully the following paragraph' is like asking a blind person to 'look carefully at those cows over there and tell me what they look like.' I was told by the teacher again yesterday that is part of being ADHD-----bullsh&^! Sometimes it might be, but only incidentally. Visual-perception impairment can occur across all gamuts of other disabilities or in totally otherwise 'normal' students. It is a disability all its own----to clump it together with other problems is almost to ignore that it exists so that it doesn't have to be dealt with. It became glaringly obvious to me when that student could NOT put twigs in formations of letters for our signs we made at Christmas time...he could not SEE the configuration of the letters, let alone construct them properly.

Enough of this stress so early in the morning, but I thought of it all night long, and I awoke in a hostile mood myself. I will go online and do some research in help for perceptually visually impaired students, as well as try to find diagnostic tests that will show the extent of the problem.

That horrendous storm south of us is living up to its predictions, so all of you in its way be wary and prepared. Please stay off the roads down there, and check in with us when you are able so we can know you are ok. Coffee is hot and tastes good----Hazlenut with vanilla creamer, if you so choose!

Have a good day, wherever you are, or at least a safe day. It's about 15 above zero here this morning, and comfortable. Happy Friday!

[carold]

OOOOOMMMMM. Sounds like you could use a nice calming breathe this am, Soos. You may not feel lucky to be in your situation, but those kids sure are. Looks like we might have 2 nice days in a row here in Sarasota. The weather sure is crazy this year. All of you in the storm's path, stay safe, inside if you can-that means you can peruse and post to your heart's content. I'm off to a couple of hours of tennis and then cleaning the MH-sure doesn't take as long as when I had that stick house. Enjoying that as long as it lasts. Having our vinyl floor put in on Monday, if all goes as plans. The carpet in the front will be gone as well as the memories of what each stain stands for (mostly gks). carold

[Ladyhawk]

OOOOOMMMMM. Sounds like you could use a nice calming breathe this am, Soos. You may not feel lucky to be in your situation, but those kids sure are.

I agree, those kids are very lucky to have you, Soos. Hang in there and thanks for a few insights into some of my own students. I have two students who I know have issues with vision and hearing. With a bit more research I might find new ways to help them.

[Echo]

GOOD MORNING SISTAHS!!!

Soos I agree with Carold and Amy. Take a few really deep breaths and recenter yourself today. You do make a difference.

Geeze I'm up early this morning. Woke up and couldn't go back to sleep no matter how I tried to convince myself. ~sigh~ So here I am, yawn. It's a little cool this morning, Yahoo says it's 52f? Hmmm? Me thinks Yahoo is full of bullpucky! We were suppose to have had some rain Wednesday but didn't see any. Now I'm not complaining here, but now the sky is overcast and nothing is said about rain today. That is adding to the cool.

Sitting here listening to the geese overhead. Have no idea if they're lost and going in circles or what? Every couple of days a flock flies over or around. Hmmm? Maybe they're looking for a good 'campground' to stay at? Or else their in-laws or cousins taking turns staying with relatives?

As you can see I'm still alive so apparently Shade forgave me for my abuse of her yesterday! Crawling into bed and cuddling up with her was so much more pleasant last night. She smells so good! She will be upset with me again as I need to brush her out again. Giving her a bath when she is blowing coat always produces a bigger hair storm. I hope she hurries up and gets it over with so life can get back to normal and we wont have to be fighting little black hair flitters anymore for a while. Sure glad she only does this 2 or 3 times a year. With her coat being so thick and long it would drive me nuts to put up with it constantly.

Ok, coffee is hot and fresh so if ya want any grab a cup! Hope everyone has a good day and for goodness sake stay safe.

Love to all

[BarbaraRose]

Soos, the world needs more teachers like you who really care and are concerned about your students. I am sure it can be tough emotionally at times, but it is worth it if it helps even one kid have a better future.

Nothing new here weather-wise, just some more light snow. Nothing like what they are getting hit with out east! Also, there was another 6.0 earthquake yesterday in Eureka California. Not as bad as the one last month but enough to shake things up a bit.

Looking forward to spending some more time with Mocha this weekend and getting to know each other better. I am trying to pay a lot of attention to Zoey too, so she doesn't feel left out. She is pretty upset yet. No fighting yet, just hissing, so that is good.

Have a great Friday!

Barbie

[Paulette]

Getting ready to head for home. Started snowing here about 15 minutes ago. They are calling for 30 inches of snow here this weekend. Hope we don't loose power, but if we do I can take the GD and the animals out to the RV and at least run up the generator!

[Christine]

gosh... i missed COFFEE!! Been busy packing up to go out to the campground for 3 nites.. weather has cleared up, but clouds are hangin around with sun! its not warm, but not cold either.... I will leave in the a.m to take the old doggie up to the boarding house, then come home, hitch up and off i go!!
I am lookin forward to a change of scenery... Hope to get the camera out and take a few pictures too!
will be back on Tue..

Everyone have a great weekend!

[Echo]

Have fun and do make sure you carry your camera and remember to use it. Don't pull and echo!