Back to School Night

Or as they call it in our district, Curriculum Night. But when I was a kid, it was "back to school night". So that's what I still call it.

Anyway, first on the agenda was a meeting for 2nd grade parents only concerning the TD testing which all second graders in the district undergo next week. TD stands for "talent development", and it is the gifted program. Next week the second graders take an aptitude test, and those scoring in the 96th percentile or above will automatically be put in the TD program. Those scoring in the high 80s but not at the 96th percentile will be given the opportunity to take a skills assessment test as a way to place into the TD program. Then there are two other methods for placing children, including a gifted assessment questionnaire filled out at the end of first grade for each student, and a portfolio of the students' classwork. Children who are not officially enrolled in the TD program may be enrolled in the "catalyst" program, which is for students who perform very highly in certain areas (such as reading or math) but not all areas. With the test results, students will also be given a "SAS" score, which apparently is very highly correlated with IQ and is a number on a similar scale to an IQ score (from 50 to 160).

It is all very stressful for me and Joel, who know we have a very bright boy who can't find his way out of a paper bag it seems, sometimes. I mean, yesterday he said he wanted to race me down the stairs at Rebecca's preschool (me in the elevator and him taking the stairs I should say), and I came out of the elevator... waited for Ben... and waited... and waited... He got lost. How, you ask? He went upstairs instead of downstairs. Now, I am not great with directions either, but I generally do know that down is how you get out of most buildings, not up.

Following the TD meeting was a blissfully short PTA meeting, and following that was a meeting in Ben's classroom to meet the teacher, go over homework policies, daily schedule, etc. Ben was very excited to have me sit at his desk, he left me a note, and left Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in prominent view on his desk, to show me that this is what he is reading during IWT (independent work time). He's only a couple chapters into it, but yes, Mom was impressed! Of course, finding his desk was easy, because it was the one with the note left on top with the most illegible handwriting :P