Not such a cool Kool Update

What a disaster! Not what any of us want to hear, right? When school ended, Kool had passed all her subjects except for math. So she went from failing EVERYTHING at the beginning of 8th grade, to passing everything but math. We were also waiting to see if she passed either part of her state wide standardized testing. (If she passed, then her schedule would get her into some classes away from her bad influence peers) Either way she was going to high school in the fall. She also knew I wasn't coming back to the school system in the fall (because of the contract completion and budget cuts) and she knew I was teaching summer school at Alcatraz.

The last week of school in May she was busted and charged with minor consuming and public intox. According to her, she was visiting her dad and he let her drink. She was still drunk when she got back to her mom's house and her mom, the alcoholic meth addict, called the cops on her. So I left Kool with instructions to call me with her court date and I would go as moral support and to be a positive character witness, or something. I also made sure her cell phone was turned on so she could call.

Since school was out, I've called her several times and her phone was off. Her mom's phone was off. I've stopped at her house and no one ever answers the door. I've left notes on the door, all of which have gone unanswered. So... it could be obvious that she doesn't want to see me or talk to me, which I understand. Or she's not getting my messages... Anyway...

I happened to see Kool at the local video store twice this summer. The first time she said the phones were off and she'd been at her dad's house all summer and never got my messages. She hadn't been to court for her alcohol incident yet. She was having an okay summer. I tried to make plans but she said she would have to talk to her mom. She did say I could go to court and she would tell me the time; I knew the day. The never came, even though I arranged a tentative substitute teacher for Alcatraz.

The second time I saw her at the video store she was with her alcoholic meth addict mother. Through bits and pieces I guess she popped a second time. This time she was with 2 older boys and she was nabbed for breaking and entering and possession of stolen property. She had a court appearance for that and the judge told her "good luck", that she better get a good attorney because she'll probably be charged with Class D Felonies AND as an adult. She also told her unless her lawyer could work magic, she would be sent to... Alcatraz.

This is the point in the conversation where it went weird. Kool thought I was going to be working at Alcatraz in the fall. When I told her I was only there for the summer she momentarily looked panicked and then deflated.

Yeah.

I know when her next court day is and I know a paralegal in her attorney's office. I thought I might call to see if an appearance in court from me would help her. I dunno.

If I'm completely honest, if she was sentenced to time at Alcatraz, it could be a really good thing. She'd have clean clothes and 3 square meals a day (even if heavily starchy). Someone would make sure her homework was done. She'd get counseling and therapy. She could shower daily, have a routine, and overall, be protected.

What a mess. I wish I could've helped her. I wish I could've saved her.

Maggie

Survival

Does anyone know what charges I would face for kidnapping Kool? Her mother is a horrid horrid drunken, druggie abusive bitch and I really don't like her.

I want to take Kool and run. I want to give her her own room, clean clothes, clean clothes that fit her, fix her supper at night and sit at the kitchen table to eat it, to give her easy kid chores, help her with her homework, take her to the mall or out to eat or to the movies, and let her hang around and play video games or rent a video or play music or play board games. I want her to see what "normal" is.

I don't want her to feel like she needs to hang out in the park until dark because her mom's boyfriend is abusive. I don't want her to go to bed hungry, have dirty clothes that don't fit, and to sleep on the floor in the corner of the living room because she doesn't have her own room nor her own bed. I don't want her to take crappy jobs around the questionable neighborhood so she has spending money- for dinner. It would be nice if her mom wasn't drunk and passed out when she got home from school or the abusive boyfriend of mom wouldn't be beating anyone up.

Five steps forward and 37 back. She's passing every subject but math (As in PE and science, Bs in reading, social studies and language, and an F in math- but it's coming up).

She's quiet with me these days. I've never, ever ratted out her secrets to anyone. For her that's more than her telling me so I get her help because the system has failed her time and time again. Trust me. Abuse has been reported and the system failed her. She's one tough kid now and it would take a huge, mean guy to hurt her because she would kill someone who tried again. So she doesn't tell me things as a 'cry for help.' She tells me so someone else knows.

And thinking with my brain and knowing with my heart are two different things, I know. Today my heart hurts for her.

I'm not in any financial position to save her. I want to save her. I'm not sure how much longer she's gonna survive.

Maggie

Field trip update

I survived my day and so did Kool.

Apparently her mom got her act together enough to give Kool a Lunchable and a Pepsi. When Kool got to school and I gave her lunch she looked through the bag and just stared at me. I was all like, "whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" And she told me it rocked and was so much better than her mom's since I got her everything she LIKED. And she took both lunches with her. Ah kids!

I had also made the deal with her that if she behaved on the field trip and I got a good report, since this was a privilege not a right, then I would take her dinner to Pizza Hut, a place she has NEVER been before. Yeah, never ate at a Pizza Hut, I know. So I guess it's the Hut one night next week because everyone was GLOWING about what a good job she did and how well she behaved. WTG Kool!

As for me and my foray into 6th grade for the day................ as Bragger said in a comment to my previous post, "6th graders are Of. The. Devil." I think she summed it up nicely with that statement and I can't add much to that. They made me tired and frustrated.

I did have an encounter with a Rain Man type of kid. Actually it was like Rain Man meets A Beautiful Mind. This kid is brilliant and just.... wow. There are obviously issues, but today I worked on 6th grade math with him for an hour and it was a super great experience. I can't even begin to explain what it was like to converse with this child, other than wow. Good. Wow. And I want to write a case study paper about him. Damn..............

So we all survived Field Trip day. And Monday should be back to the regularly scheduled program. Unless we really get the 10-14 inches snow Sunday night that's in the forecast...........

Mags

Field trip

The 8th graders are going on a field trip today and Kool gets to go since she has been in perfect behavior and is making super excellent grades this semester. She said it's the first time she's been allowed on a field trip since she started middle school. Rock on her!

Now the kids have to pack a lunch and I pulled her aside and just flat out asked her if anyone at her house would make sure she had a lunch and she said "prolly not." I asked if she could pack one herself and she hesitated before saying, "no." Then I asked if there would be food in the house for a lunch and she shook her head no. So I made a silly joke or two and told her I would LOVE to bring her lunch for the filed trip because I could take this opportunity to give her all sorts of healthy food like sprouts and veggies and tofu. She laughed and then I asked her what her fav soda is (this week it's Dr. Pepper) , her fav chips (this week Doritos original), and if she wanted grape or strawberry on her sandwich. So tomorrow she gets a nice lunch with Doritos, Dr Pepper, PB&Strawberry J, carrots, chocolate covered pretzels, applesauce, and some of those blue (her favorite color) bunny peeps. I also got her a pack of gum and some new pencils. Okay, I know, I know but Jesus, Mary, and Joseph SOMEONE needs to give this kid positive attention, SOMEONE needs to care about her- and if packing a lunch will do it for the day, then so help me, I'M gonna DO IT! And when we were joking around about it, I told her it was because she passed her spelling test today with a perfect 10/10 AND she had a great IEP case conference!!! She gets to actually GO on a field trip for the first time in years! Go Kool! Ha!

And further about tomorrow, while the entire 8th grade class is gone, all 140 of them, I'll be reassigned to other classes. Since I spend five periods a day in 8th grade classes, and they'll be gone for four of those 5 periods, I'll be spending two periods in 6th grade classes. I am nervous and not looking forward to that- those kids are pretty squirrelly; and there are 4 Autistic boys in one room. Should make for an interesting day. I also get to be in the library for a period (I have no freakin' clue why or what I'll be doing there), and one period I am TEACHING a basic skills math class. Yeah, you read that right: ME teaching basic skills MATH. Oh stop yer laughin', now, alrighty?

I'll be in my regular 7th grade reading class, and I'll be proctoring my study hall so it should prove to be an interesting day.

And could you all think positive thoughts for Kool today- that nothing happens that could cause her trouble (of her own making or otherwise?)? Please? Pray if you do, and all that stuff. I'm nervous for her and I won't be there to troubleshoot.... I'd just appreciate all your positive energy from about 8:30-2:30 EST directed at Ms. Kool in Civilization!

And I'll let you know it goes- for her AND for me!

Maggie Mae

Feels like a Monday but it's really a Thursday

Since we were back to school for our full day, the kids had to readjust. It's like they had never been to school before- they were off the ever loving wall! I have no idea what got into them-- other than 2 days off in the middle of the week.

And to top it off, midterm grades go out tomorrow. I'm so proud of Kool!!!! Her mid term has 2As, 1B, 1C, and 2 D+s!!!!!! This is the first time in her life, she said, that she passed everything. She was even all sorts of ticked off because she had a D+ in Social Studies. I tried to explain that she brought her grade from a 36% to a 68% in a few weeks so it might not be something to be that mad about. But she is so proud and she should be!

I'm in a Social Studies class today and we watched the more boring power point about James Monroe and his presidency high lights. Ugh! My brain almost slowed to a stop. I'm not sure how to make James Monroe all that exciting, but this was just a snoozefest.

And that was my day at school. What's really sad is that my body feels like it's a Monday. I'm all tired and lazy like a Monday. Hmmmmm, maybe 2 days off in the middle of the week isn't such a good idea after all.... NAH- who am I kidding?!? Days off are good ANYTIME!

Maggie

I am, momentarily, the new Miracle Worker

I am not really tooting my own horn, I swear. I just want to update you on the student I've been tutoring. I'll call her Kool. Remember I told you she was failing everything and had about 30 missing assignments? And was in trouble and the school administration said they would expel her if she didn't get her act together? Click here if you need refreshing on Kool.

Her mid term grades come out this week and I did some checking with her teachers and she is PASSING everything. Furthermore, she seems to have an A in science, a B in reading and language each (and reading might be an A), a D in math, and a C in social studies. This is the first time all year she has passed her subjects. This is the first time in her life she will have a formal school document with an A on it.

Readers, she stays after school with me almost every day doing her homework, and has been since we came back from Christmas vacation; no one is making her stay, she just wants to stay to make sure she's ready for the next day! She is all caught up with every missing assignment. And there's more... she's taking notes in class for the first time, without being prompted. She actually has raised her hand and volunteered answers. She studied her vocabulary words at home, on her own and without my prompting, and got a 20 out of 20 on a vocab test. She gets every homework assignment finished, and turned in. She passed her first history test of the year last week with a C, got an A on the science test, and is passing all quizzes in reading and language. She is starting to care, even in her classes where I'm not.

Today she came to school with a new binder, new pencils and a new notebook. The new binder had tabs, which SHE had labeled. Her new school supplies were so smart. She came running down the hall to tell me and show me. She said she told her aunt over the weekend she needed new supplies because "she was getting smart." I told her I was so proud of her and she asked me if I was going to cry. I told her maybe and she just couldn't stop smiling.

And she is smiling in the hallways, She is laughing. She is happy and walks with her head held up. I.AM. SO. PROUD. OF. THIS. GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was another huge step... she has 2 study halls (long story, but necessary) and today she got all her homework finished in her study halls. She didn't have to stay after school. We just stood there looking at each other and I told her I was proud of her and to go have fun. I think she would've hugged me if that would've been cool. We bumped knuckles and she went off to do her thing, with a spring in her step.

Amazing.... Kool is just amazing.

Maggie Mae