Re: Helpful Schools

February 23, 2006

Hi all,

I just had to share this as I am so proud of how our school is working

with my daughter. Lily is 8 1/2 and on the small side so her feet

tend to dangle when she sits at her desk (I know how she feels, my

feet dangle too) When her feet dangle her arther is worse so her

teacher started stacking board game boxes on top of one another until

they reached the right height. She had never complained of this so we

were unaware of it until this morning. Well the janitor came in to

clean and saw the boxes under her desk. He went back downstairs to

the work shop and built a foot stool for Lily out of old concert

risers. Now she says her feet fit perfectly. Apparently she takes

her foot stool everywhere at school now to keep her feet from dangling.

In this day and age of little or no help from the schools I just had

to share how one school is really making a difference in the life of a

child with jra. I hope every school starts paying attention to the

little things they can do to make life easier for our kids.

Melinda and Lily Grace 8 1/2 pauci

February 23, 2006

I was an elementary teacher before becoming a Professional Mom. So, I love

hearing stories such as this. One would hope that every school would do

whatever possible (within reason) to accommodate any child in need. It is

unfortunate that many educators become complacent over their years of

teaching and end up just going through the motions necessary to get through

each day. It sounds as if your daughter has gotten a school with its " head

on straight. " '

Weber

Professional Mom to:

Sophie 4 - pauci/panuveitis

Charlie 30 weeks - fussy but oh-so-lovable

On 2/23/06, Mel <melandhubbies@...> wrote:

>

> Hi all,

>

> I just had to share this as I am so proud of how our school is working

> with my daughter. Lily is 8 1/2 and on the small side so her feet

> tend to dangle when she sits at her desk (I know how she feels, my

> feet dangle too) When her feet dangle her arther is worse so her

> teacher started stacking board game boxes on top of one another until

> they reached the right height. She had never complained of this so we

> were unaware of it until this morning. Well the janitor came in to

> clean and saw the boxes under her desk. He went back downstairs to

> the work shop and built a foot stool for Lily out of old concert

> risers. Now she says her feet fit perfectly. Apparently she takes

> her foot stool everywhere at school now to keep her feet from dangling.

>

> In this day and age of little or no help from the schools I just had

> to share how one school is really making a difference in the life of a

> child with jra. I hope every school starts paying attention to the

> little things they can do to make life easier for our kids.

>

> Melinda and Lily Grace 8 1/2 pauci

>

February 23, 2006

I have to say we've been very fortunate with our school. I see the

horror stories on this site of the problems people have with their

schools and it makes me cringe. We are so blessed with the small

school family that we have. Most of our teachers have decades of

experience so for many of them having a child with arther is a new

concept yet they are so accomodating with it it's unbelievable. They

gym teacher finds different ways for Lily to stay involved without

causing her to feel like an oddity. A true skill to balance that as

even I sometimes tend to mollycoddle her instead of nudging her to at

least try.

melinda

> >

> > Hi all,

> >

> > I just had to share this as I am so proud of how our school is working

> > with my daughter. Lily is 8 1/2 and on the small side so her feet

> > tend to dangle when she sits at her desk (I know how she feels, my

> > feet dangle too) When her feet dangle her arther is worse so her

> > teacher started stacking board game boxes on top of one another until

> > they reached the right height. She had never complained of this so we

> > were unaware of it until this morning. Well the janitor came in to

> > clean and saw the boxes under her desk. He went back downstairs to

> > the work shop and built a foot stool for Lily out of old concert

> > risers. Now she says her feet fit perfectly. Apparently she takes

> > her foot stool everywhere at school now to keep her feet from

dangling.

> >

> > In this day and age of little or no help from the schools I just had

> > to share how one school is really making a difference in the life of a

> > child with jra. I hope every school starts paying attention to the

> > little things they can do to make life easier for our kids.

> >

> > Melinda and Lily Grace 8 1/2 pauci

> >

February 23, 2006

--Mel,

Thats awesome news....

I remember when the old principal at Nicks school lowered his desk

and chair so his legs were not dangling. Nick felt different and was

upset about it. So the principal lowered all the other kids desks in

his group ( made sure it was a group of smaller kids) so they

matched Nicks desk. Then he felt ok ))) I thought that was really

sweet.

hugs Helen and (8,systemic)

- In , " Mel " <melandhubbies@...> wrote:

>

> Hi all,

>

> I just had to share this as I am so proud of how our school is

working

> with my daughter. Lily is 8 1/2 and on the small side so her feet

> tend to dangle when she sits at her desk (I know how she feels, my

> feet dangle too) When her feet dangle her arther is worse so her

> teacher started stacking board game boxes on top of one another

until

> they reached the right height. She had never complained of this

so we

> were unaware of it until this morning. Well the janitor came in to

> clean and saw the boxes under her desk. He went back downstairs to

> the work shop and built a foot stool for Lily out of old concert

> risers. Now she says her feet fit perfectly. Apparently she takes

> her foot stool everywhere at school now to keep her feet from

dangling.

>

> In this day and age of little or no help from the schools I just

had

> to share how one school is really making a difference in the life

of a

> child with jra. I hope every school starts paying attention to the

> little things they can do to make life easier for our kids.

>

> Melinda and Lily Grace 8 1/2 pauci

>

February 23, 2006

What a nice story - The OT at Robbie's school provided him with a footstool last

year that helped with the joint pain in his legs, as well as taking pressure off

of his back to ease the discomfort of the compression fracture. During the

first week of school, when they had the " welcome back " night for parents, I was

pleased to see his stool under his desk - his second grade teacher brought it

over on the first day of school to make sure that he had it in his new class.

This is typical of the teachers he has at school. The school is awesome - from

the PE teacher to the school secretary.

Sadly, the anticipated loss of our principal happened last week. The Board of

Education has been trying to move him for at least the last year and a half. He

is an awesome principal and a fabulous educator. The school has flourished

under his direction - has been recognized for it's academics and has won a

variety of awards. The principal finished his Doctorate degree last year and

also won a major education award last year (I forget what the award was called)

- I guess the board finally made him an offer he couldn't refuse - because a

letter came home last Wednesday letting us know that he was leaving on Friday,

and " introducing " the new principal.

I went in on Friday to take meds to the school nurse for Robbie - and the office

was swamped with parents coming in to say goodbye - even parents whose children

have moved on to middle school - they had heard the news and come in to say

goodbye. He saw me in the nurses office - came in and gave me a hug and told me

to keep advocating for my son, & said he would miss us. This is the kind of

attention every family there has received from him and he will be missed so very

much. The very first time that I walked in that school - the summer before

first grade, (we'd moved & found ourselves in a new school district) anyway - I

was working on the paperwork to give to the secretary - the principal walked in

and started talking to Robbie - asking him what he was doing with his summer,

what subjects he liked in school, etc - then he asked me where we lived - I told

him and he immediately asked me what side of the street and preceeded to tell me

what bus Robbie would be on and started telling me about times, etc - all

without looking at any reference item - no map, list, grid, chart - it was all

from the top of his head. I told him not to sign him up to quickly for the bus,

that he wouldn't be riding the bus, that he would be in before and after care -

so he switched tracks and asked me which before and after care, and when I told

him, he said, Well they have a waiting list, you may not .. and I told him I had

signed him up already, at the beginning of the summer because I knew we were

switching schools. He really impressed me with how on top of everything he has

always been, I have never gone to him with any question without an immediate

answer.

Even the teachers were in a whirl with the news last week & hate to see him go -

one of them told me that she was trying to think positively that he would be

able to spread his magic further by working at the Board of Education. I forget

his title at his new job, but it had something to do with planning - so

hopefully he will continue to have a positive impact. I was really hoping the

school would keep him until Robbie went to middle school.

Val

Rob's Mom (8,systemic)