June 11, 2020
Posted in AMT's Faves, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged Coronavirus, Veterans Memorial Middle School at 10:48 am by autismmommytherapist
To Mrs. Kotsianis, Mr. Carr, Mr. Walski, Mr. Richards, Mr. Calabro, Mrs. Bearse, Mrs. Wnuk, Mrs. Detata, Mrs. Fallon, Mrs. Foley, Mrs. Dunne, Mrs. Hansen, Mrs. Reilly, Mr. Lafferty, Mr. Schnorrbusch, Mrs. Curran, and Mrs. Sammarco:
Last year I wrote a glowing homage to all of Zach’s sixth grade teachers, praising them for their creativity and attentiveness to him. I closed with the wish that his seventh grade teachers would mirror their excellence.
I have to say that for once, my dream came true.
I feel like there will now be a great divide in all of our lives, our time before Coronavirus, and after. I know some things have changed in my family. As horrible as this all is I find we are laughing more, sleeping more, and when not thinking about what’s happening “out there” are more relaxed than during our usual frenetic pace. There are definitely some “befores” and “afters” now, with notable changes.
One thing that hasn’t changed has been the quality of Zach’s instruction, and for that I am truly grateful.
Before we all self-quarantined I had been thrilled with Zach’s new batch of teachers, and the retention of some from sixth grade. They somehow managed to make middle school fun, treated my son with respect and compassion, were always accessible for any questions, and made Zach want to learn.
No small feat with a burgeoning teen.
When I picked Zach up on March 13th I can’t say I knew he wouldn’t return this year. I can say as a former educator I knew what a Herculean task it would be to create even adequate online instruction practically overnight.
And yet, all of his teachers rose to the occasion. Online learning was up and running three days later after one (I’m assuming) very long staff meeting. Certainly, it is not the same as in-school instruction. Yet I feel that Zach is still learning, acquiring concepts, and mastering skills. He still feels connected to his teachers. He is still making progress.
And as I listened to other friends’ woes about their districts’ issues in the following weeks, I knew just how lucky we were once again in regards to Zach’s education.
This year is certainly ending differently than any other year in Zach’s educational career. It is so sad that none of you got to say goodbye to “your kids.” I remember when I left my fifth graders six weeks early to have my first child how heartwrenching it was not to finish with them- the sobbing wasn’t just the hormones. They are definitely missing out on some special events both with other students and staff. It’s sad, and we’re allowed to mourn.
But thanks to your collective commitment to excellence, your constant creativity, and your compassion for all those you teach, my son and others in his class will not only not fall behind, but will be ready to conquer eighth grade in whatever form it takes. Zach will be prepared for whatever challenges befall him, and given the world climate, I am confident there will be many.
Thank you to all of you for your kindness towards my boy. We truly appreciate you!
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March 18, 2020
Posted in Fun Stuff, Life's Little Moments, My Take on Autism tagged autism, Brick Public Schools, Corona virus, homeschooling, Veterans Memorial Middle School at 11:24 am by autismmommytherapist
Today is day three of “education chez McCafferty.” To homeschooling moms and dads, it’s just Wednesday.
I’ve waited a few days to write just because I wanted to see how things played out. Virtual learning will start tomorrow with Justin, and Zach has been faithfully spending about three hours a day doing his work remotely. I admit on Monday morning I was worried about how this would go, but when I inquired I got “the hand” and an exasperated “Mom, I got this” and moved on.
Having a teenager has taught me to walk away (and fast).
I want to take this time to thank the teachers and administration at Veterans Memorial Middle School, who at least for my child have put together seamless instruction in about five minutes that has blissfully kept him occupied for hours. Speaking as a former veteran educator myself, I know this has not been easy. Like many of us, teachers now working remotely have children of their own at home who need access to computers and homeschooling. Many have small children who they need to keep alive while answering emails. Some may not have the strongest technological skills, and remote learning may be a challenge.
I’m certain many are validating something they already knew- that being a teacher is in no way a bonus when teaching your own progeny.
As I scroll Facebook for something to do I’ve seen numerous posts bemoaning the situation we’re all in. They range from hoping to expel their current students, to throwing schedules out the window, to my personal favorite, “now you know the teachers were right about your kid.”
So it is my great hope that something good will come out of this, namely that parents who are not educators will have a greater understanding of the complexities and sometimes arduous nature of this job. I’ve had two friends ask me “how did you do this for twelve years?” These are friends who are struggling just to get their kids out of their beds, not to mention monitoring them to see if they’re actually doing their work (yes, there IS a PE curriculum!).
I want to personally thank Mrs. Wnuk for her incredibly encouraging comments to all “her kids,” (I’ve shared them all with Zach and even got the hint of a smile, both sides of his mouth!). They mean a lot and I’m sure many teachers in the Brick Public Schools are doing the same. I know this because this town cares about its kids, its teachers work incredibly hard, and we are lucky to have them.
So to all my friends and parents out there thrown into something it takes years to perfect while trying to forage for food and keep your day jobs, hang in there. I am confident many bumpy roads will smooth out soon, and if not, there’s always Netflix. I wish you all the best, and thank you again to Veterans Memorial!
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