MWMW: Mental Wrestling Match of the Week

We bought these supplies for Julia according to the list we got before school started.  Once school began, we learned she wouldn't need the binder after all (this was from last year--glad we didn't buy a new one!), or the dividers.  The teachers have the kids use folders, one per class, so we ended up buying a few more folders, (one per class) and took back the dividers.  We also had to buy some index cards, not listed on the first list.  Not too bad. 

Julia came home from school last week and said, "I think my math class is going to be too easy for me..."  I thought about this all weekend, and Sunday at church, talked to my friend's husband (a math teacher).  At the end of 6th grade, Julia took a Pre Algebra readiness test, on material they'd studied that year, and scored 100%.  The kids that scored above whatever number went on to take the Algebra 1 readiness test, covering material that hadn't been taught.  Julia scored a few points lower than the cutoff score to automatically be placed in Algebra 1 (probably 2, maybe 3 problems).  At the time, I was relieved!  Everyone we talked to said how rigorous and strenuous Algebra 1 is for a 7th grader.  That there is no reason for a 7th grader to take it.  But yet, it is an option.

Julia's original schedule--new for her this year, for 7th grade!  Thought some of you might like to see how her schedule works.  They do block scheduling at her school.  They have Advisory (homeroom) every morning, 45 min., then 3 classes on Mon. and Weds., 90 min. each, and 3 classes on Tues. and Thurs.  Friday, they go to all 7 classes for 45 min. each.

Anyway, my friend's husband said Julia would learn in Pre Algebra, but not be challenged...  He thought, based on her Algebra readiness test score, and her STAR test scores, that she would likely do fine in Algebra 1.  He [basically] said they indicate she has the type of brain that "gets" math, and is able to figure problems out based on what she does know, even if she hasn't been taught the material.
 

Also new for 7th grade:  gym clothes!!  I love the hot pink sneakers!!

 I called my sister, who did well in math, and asked her what she thought.  Her advice sounded about the same as our friend's.  She also said that if Julia is taught how to do the math, she'll likely pick it up.  I was all ready to call the school Monday morning and get the class switched!

Monday morning I talked to the asst. principal about switching Julia's math class from Pre Algebra to Algebra 1.  I talked to her for probably 30 minutes!  The asst. principal said she wouldn't recommend it, that if it were her kid, she wouldn't do it... 

She said it was up to us, but she didn't think it was a good idea.  That by starting a kid in Algebra 1 as a 7th grader, they'd take Geometry as an 8th grader, and Algebra 2 as a 9th grader.  The math classes would continue to have a domino effect, and Julia would have to take Pre Calculus as a Sophomore and Calculus AB as a Junior and Calculus BC as a Senior.  That started sounding scary to me, as I only went through Pre Calculus!  The asst. principal also said Algebra 1 is a 9th grade course and would be taught as a 9th grade course. 

She said Calc. 1 is already an AP class, and there is no reason to take two AP math classes (2 years of Calc.) unless Julia really loves math and we think she is in the top 1% that will do well in it.  Yikes!!!!  She asked what Julia wanted to do career wise.  Veterinarian, but, she's 12 years old! Who knows?!?  Asst. Principal went on to say Julia might not even need that much math, she might need more science, like biology.  She asked me if I was good at math (that caught me off guard, no one asked me anything like that before!).  I told her I was, back in the day, but I forgot most of it!!  She seemed glad to hear that though, and said I could probably read the lesson in the book and help Julia, if she needed help.

Julia says her gym clothes are the ugliest clothes she's ever worn!  Well, the shirt's not that bad, but she hates the shorts!  LOL  At least everybody else is wearing the same thing, right?!  They're better than what I had wear for PE.  ;)  We had to write her name in that big oval, right in front, under Hawks.

By this time I was sure Julia should stay in Pre Algebra.  Everything else to consider sounded scary...  ;)   Julia wasn't totally convinced, however.  She still thought Pre Algebra would be too easy, but sighed, saying maybe it was the best place for her.

It just so happened (I rarely see her in the mornings at all, even last year) to run into Julia's 6th grade teacher (Miss H.) Tuesday morning.  She asked how everything was going, and of course I told her about the math class situation.  She told me if there was anything she could do to help get Julia in Algebra 1, anyone she needed to talk to, to let her know.  She said if anyone can handle it, it's Julia and so-and-so...!  Then, I started feeling sad, that by keeping Julia in Pre Algebra, we weren't challenging her enough.  What if she can handle Algebra 1 and subsequent math classes just fine?

I was quite conflicted. LOL  Well, now we can LOL, at the time, it wasn't funny!  Brian kept going back and forth in his thinking too, based on what we'd hear!  I even emailed Lauren's teacher from last year to see what she thought, considering she had 2 kids go through our local schools and high school.  She encouraged us to challenge Julia.  Goodness!  What to do?  What to do?  I want Julia to be challenged, but not overwhelmed!  Tuesday afternoon, the kids and I went in Miss H's class again, so Julia could talk to her, and that was helpful as well.

The asst. principal said Julia may do well in Algebra 1, and maybe even Geometry, but come her Freshman year in high school, she'll likely need a tutor b/c she'll have problems w/ Algebra/Trig b/c of not taking Pre Algebra, and they will assume she knows certain things that she hasn't been taught.  Ack!  Scary!  Miss H. said Julia may or may not need a tutor, that if she does, it's not a bad thing.  She also said, who knows, maybe Julia will be the one who's a tutor.  Who really knows?!  And also, that Julia shouldn't worry about her Jr. and Sr. years in high school right now.  Think about them, yes, but when the time comes, things will all fall into place.




Not sure what this expression is; I told her to look scared, scholarly, happy...  What is this face?!

Miss H. said she couldn't make the decision for Julia, but that she thought Julia should "Go for it!"  :)

Sooo, Wednesday I called and said we indeed wanted Julia's math class changed.  Asst. Principal called Julia into her office and talked to her about why she wanted to switch, and about her extracurricular activities (how much time she'd have to devote to math and still live a balanced life!!).  I had to write a letter that night to the asst. principal, and the next day, Julia's schedule was officially changed. 

We had been praying all along, that we should know which direction to take; we had to decide that week.  Asst. Principal assured us Julia's schedule would get rearranged; she couldn't guarantee any classes would stay the same, except Julia's Language Arts and Yearbook (I'd requested those stay).  The only schedule mess-up?  PE and math got switched.  PE!!  So simple--if you want a class to be "messed up", isn't PE one that wouldn't matter so much?  We took that as an answer to prayer!  The only "bad" thing is Julia's sweet friend, Rachel, was in her first PE class; now she has no friends in her PE class.  So when they had to find partners, everyone else had a partner and she had to go with a boy who had long hair and "looked weird".  Oh dear... ;)




Julia's wanted Toms shoes for awhile now.  We bought her some for school.

So now, Julia's in Algebra 1.  She had homework Thursday and Friday, and understood the concepts.  I did go over some of it with her to make sure she understood, but she said most of it was like what they did last year, just more numbers, more complex.  We'll see what happens.  The asst. principal said they'll monitor her, and if she carries lower than a B+, she'll go back to Pre Algebra.  And, it's normal to spend 1 - 1.5 hrs. a night on math; not 3 hours and staying up till midnight b/c you don't get it!

No pressure or anything!  LOL  Brian said, what about the kid who struggles just to get a B??  Actually, there is no pressure.  If Julia does well in Algebra 1, she'll stay in the class, and go on that math track.  If she ends up going back to Pre Algebra, she'll just end up taking 1 year of Calculus instead of 2, in high school.  But at least she will have tried, and we'll know where she should be.  Brian and I think now is a better time to find that out than high school!  It doesn't seem like it would be an option in high school anyway.  So why not try now?

She chose red Toms.  Last year she had gray Bobs (Skecher knock offs), and they're almost worn out!   I know she'll wear these ones a ton and get lots of use out of them too.

When Julia walked in her new Algebra 1 class, there was only 1 seat left.  She didn't know anyone in the class except one girl.  She recognized a boy from 4-H, but only knew Jessica, my friend Marsha's daughter.  And wouldn't you know, the only empty seat left in the class was next to Jessica, and that is where Mr. Z told Julia to sit.  Julia said she thought that was a sign that she should be in that class; that God must have planned that seat to be for her.  I kind of think so too!  :)  Also, Mr. Z said if she needs help with anything, to let him know.  That was encouraging, b/c the asst. principal said this Algebra 1 class is full, and if you need help, the teacher won't have time to help just you, when there are so many kids (there are 32).

 

 

Julia likes school, and Jr. High with its newness is very exciting for her.  I hope this next week is more settled!