Proud Parent Moment – last day of school 2016
I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to summer break with the kids… day trips and time with my boys.
Today was the last day of school 2016, and grade 7 for my oldest boy. One of the things that accompany the last day of school for the year is a report card. This year has been a year of amazing accomplishments for Lorne. He just completed his second year on swim team, his first year of Army Cadets, and he played in a band and sang on stage in 3 different performances.
I AM SO PROUD OF HIM!!
His grades have come from B’s and C’s to consistent B’s and then A’s and today…an A+ appeared on the report. This mom is extremely proud and happy for her son, and not just for the marks. The comments from teachers have been positive this year as well. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but he has had some struggles in the past.
I will admit that in previous years (since about grade 2), I would worry about report cards, hoping the teacher’s comments improved or I could tell if his behaviour had become more focused. You see, my son was diagnosed with ADHD and Non Verbal Learning Disorder about 3 years ago. We suspected ADHD for a long time, but the diagnosis of NVLD was not expected. It helped to explain some behaviors and reactions we simply could not understand before. It also made it apparent that he learns differently than the majority, and would need a little help to excel.
Lorne was always a quick learner, retained information to the tiniest detail and could verbally tell you about almost any topic out there. But then, on paper and when tested, he struggled. It was frustrating seeing comments on report cards about his lack of interest at school and his grades, although average, were just not where we felt he should be.
With the help of the official diagnosis, his teachers knowing about it, a computer at school and his personal knowledge that he had ADHD & NVLD, he was able to overcome and persevere in school, and his grades have improved.
NVLD not only makes it frustrating for him to learn in a traditional school setting, it also causes some social anxieties and misunderstandings. You see, we are bombarded with visual stimuli in today’s society; advertising, video conferencing, all our digital gadgets, even classrooms have the walls covered in learning aids. For someone with NVLD, this is stressful and distracting, working against them 100% of the time. Those visual aids are hurting the ability to learn.
So, the comments from teachers letting us know how he is “really” doing, sometimes mean more than the actual mark on the report card. We tend to only hear from the schools when our children are having problems or misbehaving. When it is quiet, is usually means things are okay…but is “okay” enough? That is a whole other post for another time 🙂
This year, I believe Lorne figured out how to focus better and try harder to block some of the distractions. Have I said it yet? I AM SO PROUD!
Way to go Lorne, here’s to many more years of learning and having fun.
Do you have a child who struggles at school work or maybe the social aspects of being at school? Why not celebrate something that they achieved this year? Feel free to share in the comments. We can all celebrate together!