Last year at this time we were meeting with John Parker's teacher trying to decide what we needed to work on to get him where he needed to be for 2nd grade. We went to a reading tutor and spent countless hours reading, going over basic rules of phonics, etc. It was tough on both of us. He worked so hard and never once complained. He got where he needed to be, but after talking to his teacher and the principal, it was decided that although he didn't have to--repeating 1st grade would be a good decision and give him more time to mature and gain more self confidence. Deciding to have John Parker repeat 1st grade was a tough decision. I worried about how it would affect him and his self esteem. I knew he would miss his friends. He is such a smart boy but really needed that extra time to mature--especially since he was one of the younger ones in his class. For the first couple of months of school he often asked, "So why did I have to repeat again?" We would tell him that it was a good thing and not because of anything that he did wrong. Well, he started thriving and changing in ways that I never imagined. When I received his report card yesterday I cried. What joy filled my heart to see the things that his precious teacher had written:
"John Parker continues to do excellent work in all academic subjects. I am quite impressed with not only his written communication skills and his art work, but with his problem-solving skills as well. He is emerging as a class leader, as one on whom others can rely to make decisions. He takes note of his surroundings and what is going on (he gets the total picture) and he volunteers viable, probable solutions. He has also matured quite nicely in how he relates to others. I am eagerly looking forward to what all he will accomplish next term!" He got excellent marks in writing, reading comprehension, algebra and listening attentively.....
Thank you God for continuing to bless us and for allowing us to raise such a precious, kind son!!
