Thursday, September 13, 2012

Early Thanksgiving

I received three phone calls from Jack's school this week. I've already written about the paranoid uncertainty which accompanies each call. Will it be about Jack kicking another student? Did he drop trou on the playground and do his business? One never can tell. This post is a rundown of the three calls.

1) Jack's teacher called to personally explain to me what I would be reading about in Jack's folder from school. He'd had an off sort of day--lots of mood swings. After happily participating in PE, Jack returned to the classroom, walked straight to his teacher's desk, picked up her laptop, and smashed it on the floor.

Complete mortification.

Miss Sue kindly explained that this event wasn't the end of the world as she was already due to receive a new laptop anyway.

Still, completely mortified.

When I apologized and expressed this to her, she gently told me that Jack is a person who makes his own choices, and that this time, the behavior was a result of his disability. She then expressed her love for Jack, and told me that she knows Jack is loved at home--that we teach him and work with him daily, even if the lessons from our efforts don't immediately take.

2) The second call was from Missy, the bus aide. She gave me a ring one morning simply to let me know that Jack had been such a peach that morning on the ride to school. She described to me how he had sat with his hands folded and his legs crossed, quietly watching out the window. When they arrived at school, a situation with another student prevented them from getting off the bus for several minutes. Missy wanted me to know that Jack didn't complain or try to get up. He just waited, quietly. She told me that while sometimes Jack has his moments, she just absolutely loves him.

3) Then yesterday, Jack's principal called. Paranoia set in as I waited for her to reveal the purpose of the call. I need to be less paranoid.

She asked me if I would be willing to serve as one of a handful of parents on the School Community Council, which addresses various school concerns, as well as writing a plan for achieving the School Trust Lands goals.

Heck yes, I'll do it. I was intrigued, and also just pretty happy she wasn't bringing up that broken laptop.

I often feel that my family is given many blessings which help us navigate and survive life with a multi-disabled child, while raising a bunch of other children as well. So many blessings, I suspect, that we probably aren't even cognizant of them all.

I am, however, very aware of the priceless gift that Jack's school, bus, teacher, principal, OT's, SLP's, and aides are.

And I am grateful.

5 comments:

  1. I'm so happy to hear that Jack's teacher was so sweet about the laptop incident! Seriously, that's awesome. And how cute to hear about darling Jack just sitting so still and patient during the bus incident! Even more cool....that you were asked to participate in some great things at the school! Fabulous!!!!

    Don't worry, my heart still pounds when I see the school on the caller ID. Nowadays it could be for either of the boys! Yikes!

    Miss you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know what you mean about being paranoid every time the school calls! It just takes one bad one to spoil all the others. I am happy Jack has such wonderful people taking care of him at school. Hopefully we will see you Sunday??

    ReplyDelete
  3. sometimes I have wanted to throw my laptop on the floor too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You will be great on the school council!!!

    ReplyDelete