***Mrs F***

[Jayzmummy]

I know I've not been around a lot lately....computer problems and we have been back to BIBIC....but on my return I noticed you havent been around much.....hope all is OK.xxx

[Davros]

yes, where is she? Jammed in her own laminator?

[Jayzmummy]

Just hope Mrs F is Ok...and all the other Forgetfuls. I miss her cheery posts and I wanted to talk storage with her!!!!!

[JakB]

Yeah, I miss her too

[TheRealMrsF]

I am here!

Just struggling like mad at the moment

Leigh is being bullied by everyone in the school (or so it seems)

the latest (TODAY) WAS A YR 6 holding him down so that another boy from leighs own class could slap his face and hit him on the back.
Yesterday's was one kid telling another to push leigh off a bench- and to keep trying till he suceeded- and if he didn't do it then HE would be strangled.

Had meeting with Head today.
Leigh wants to go back to his old school (i want to cocoon him )

Had too much bad news about next school year too- the only teacher i felt he'd be well supported with is moving up a year- so he either has to have to same one as this year- or he has a different version of the same dragon. (either teacher he will have scare me and have no rapport with)

Asked about him moving to a SN class- but head says he is too bright "and it will raise new issues".....i'm worried about his emotional supprt.

Hoped when we met the head today that he would mention the magic "statementing" word...but no.....

sorry to rant on- now you know why i have kept off of here.....but how could i keep off of my own thread!!!! (thanks J'sM!!)

(laminator doing well Davros....my latest project is a page of traffic lights- which leigh and alex stick either a red sticker on the red light for eating 'junk' food....an yellow one for eating 'Junk with a healthy something-or-other" and a green sticker if they eat a meal that is "healthy". This is REALLY working well...for each completed traffic light they get 10p....and yesterday leigh actually asked for a roast dinner WITH carrots...so that he could have a green sticker ....next step i think is to make a single large traffic light(with large 'lights' attatched with VELCRO (ooooh!) and use it for various things like GREEN= when they do something after me asking them just once...YELLOW if i have to ask twice....and RED if i have to NAG!!!! )The uses are endless!!!
It's amazing how well leigh has took to this (as it's really him that it's aimed for...as alex does eat well.....but has more behaviour issues which i can adapt it to). The usual sticker charts never really worked...but traffic lights are something he loved as a toddler.....

[Davros]

Sorry things are tough MrsF, don't know what to suggest about school [sad}
You are a creative creature! The traffic lights ideas are great. You will laugh, I've managed to find myself with three, count 'em, three laminators (and one broken one). Mine got broken by someone at school so I made DH bid on one on Ebay, £35 for an A3 one, never thought he would get it and got excited by leaflet from Robert Dyas so bought TWO, count 'em, TWO A4 laminators for £14.99 each, to justify the £4 postage. Now have laminators coming out of my ears and should be sending something back.....

[TheRealMrsF]

Ah...but u never know when they will come in handy...just think u can plug them all in at once and do hundreds of PECs etc in minutes!!!!

I got my second laminator when tesco was doing them for £12.50....and i bought sever packs of ASSORTED POUCHES .....but in true MrsClutterHoarderForgetful style have forgotten which heap they are hoarded in...and feel i will just have to buy some more!!!!

[TheRealMrsF]

Coppertop...can't email u as i've rebooted our pc as it was full of spyware etc....so lost your email addy...so can u mail me??? Ta!!!

[Davros]

Yes, I am a bit reluctant to send any of my 3 working ones back and would like to get the first one fixed

[coppertop]

You're back, MrsF!

Poor little Leigh. I'm so sorry you're going to end up with another not-so-nice teacher next year too.

Will e-mail you asap.

[TheRealMrsF]

well...am seriously thinhking about moving schools ...again....what have i got to lose- HE WANTS TO MOVE SCHOOLS.....

Tom is off to secondary this sept....and Alex keeps on about the previous school too.... so i am going to see how thingsgo straight after half term- and then make enquiries at a couple of schools- and ask to visit with leigh.....and see what happens.

Leigh is yr3 now so moving as he starts yr4 would be an OK thing to do as he would then have chance to settle before secondary...but deep down i am scared as i feel his needs won't be met anywhere mainstream- yet he's too able to statement?????

And i feel HOME EDDING is likely.....but am concerned how i will explain to ALEX why HE has to go to school and Leigh doesn't......

[Blossomhill]

Hey Mrs F

So sorry you are having a shi**y time at the moment Have missed u xxx

[Jayzmummy]

Oh Mrs F....have a huge hug. So sorry you are having problems with the school. Missed you lots. Your traffic lights sound a fab idea and Im going to give it a go with J.
Dont stay away....we all mised you.

[Chocol8]

Agree with Bloss and Jaysmummy - ya been away toooooo long!

So sorry to hear about Leigh, I know what you are going through and it hurts so much, the poor luv.

Love the traffic lights idea (just thinking if I can sneak it in to work and laminate it there - got the velcro.....mmmmm) x

[Davros]

Don't seem to have seen you much either Choc. How's things? You could come to my house and laminate!!

[TheRealMrsF]

visited a school today (Autism unit and outreach team on site)

Head is super- showed me round whole school...showed me homework books (she was horrified at how current school expect him to remember etc)

Also 'off the erecord' mentioned that the outreach teacher (when visiting our school to observe leigh) had been 'shown' Alex by Head...and she agrees with ME!!!! She feels he is showing ASD signs! (so i am NOT CRAZEEEEEEE!!!)

Final she said if we were willing to travel the 6 miles to schhol every day...she'd gladly accept both boys...both into the mainstream classes...not the unit...but all the classes use the same visual timetables and other ASD materials/strategies etc. So that would be fantastic. Also she keeps all infant AND junior classes below 30 pupils!!!! The yr6 has 19!!!!!! (tom is in a class of 33 at the mo!!!!!) ANd the yr 2's are in a clas of 24...with 1.5 TA support.
Felt like a village school.

BUT.......... here goes why it's probably no good....

In september the school is merging with another and this site will be the infants (ALEX) and the other JUNIORS (leigh)....so class sizes may chane..though she hopes to keep them below 30..and she ponted out that though at primary a child can go to any school provided there is a space and the parent gets them there...that in 3 years when leigh would move on to secondary...that he would have to attend a school within the catchment area where we live ..... She also expects there to be transition issues for many children as they adapt...so worries that it may be unsettling for my boys.

So.....longterm not a great move she said as he would then have to start at secondary without his peer group.

BUT...then i though...we want to move in the next 2 years...so why not move to THAT catchment area!!!! (people do do that!!!! Don't they!!!!?)

Then i though.... but what about Tom...he's starting secondary this sept...so has 5 years ahead of him.....and if we moved to another town we'd either need to move schools for him...or we'd have to get him to school by 8.50....AND the younger 2 by 9 in two different towns!!!!

Yeah!RIGHT!!!!!!

Lovely how this school seems...i know deep down it's not practical.

So she left it that i can call her right up to end of july if i want to move them there.

But...she also used the visit to show me what kinds of things i should ask about /look for at a school....OFSTED commended her at her last 2 schools- she has been a senco too....and she has pulled this school out of special measures ....so feel gutted that this school is simply not a practical solution.

Then when i mull it over i think...maybe i should just 'go with the flow'.... see how we get on for the firts 2 years and worry about secondary etc later on.....who knows the government may change the rules...TOM or Leigh may get statemented...and end up being transported by the LEA.... what i cannot decide is whether i risk possible problems later- balanced against a happier few years now..... or do i visit all the 'feeder schools' for the secondary where we live......and hope that by chance they have a child with ASD who needs the kind of stuff that this school offers....as in the town where i live there is no specialist ASD classes.

Then to really be brutal.......say for example we were a army family etc.... we'd have to uproot at the drop of a hat...and we'd manage.....so the plot thickens!!!

[TheRealMrsF]

P.s....sorry,......bit more to add....

Tat school even uses a TRAFFIC LIGHT BEHAVIOUR POLICY!!!!!

(REd being the worst...green being reward etc!!!)

So...is this fate telling me what i should do???? !!!

[Chocol8]

Defo think that fate (ie: traffic lights) is having a word in your shell-like MrsF!

Yes, I can see your dilemma here - but you are right about moving to catchment areas. Lots of parents do it and it is something I will have to do in 2 years time, unless the schools round here suddenly become excellent very quickly - em, doubtful!

Davros, thanks for offer - I may just take you up on it! Am going to start a thread about the reply to the complaint letter I wrote to the school so I don't hijack MrsF's thread.

Nice to see you back though MrsF - you were missed! x

[TheRealMrsF]

Thanks chocs....i really hope we can all meet in the summer

I was planning to visit CT next week but all this stuff has been getting on top of me so am postponing it.

[Chocol8]

Oh dear MrsF - what a shame - I can see why you are stressed! Would love to meet up in the summer - sadly I couldn't make it to the Brighton meet up this time, but will defo try to get to the next one. You could do with one in your part of the country couldn't you?

I haven't been on MN as much lately - although I do lurk and try and keep in touch with what is going on with everyone, although I don't always feel able to reply.

I know you will make the right decision about the school - it is a difficult one though. Maybe at the end it will come down to gut instinct?

[InternationalGirl]

Hope it gets better soon MrsF. Stick with your gut instinct - it usually turns out to be the 'right' thing to do. I know it can't be easy - hope it all works out for the best ... Wish I could meet you... but I'm leaving the UK soon - I know there's so much more I could learn about laminating from you

[Chocol8]

Ahhhh, InternationalGirl - pmsl - MrsF...master laminator, or Laminating Masterclass by the international renowned MrsF.

[coppertop]

If the traffic lights behaviour policy isn't a sign from above, MrsF then I don't know what is!

I think we need a SN board's "Guide to Laminating and all things Velcro-able". MrsF can dedicate an entire chapter to traffic lights and their uses in the SN world.

[TheRealMrsF]

Awwwww Shucks!!!

IG....don't worry i'll especially do an 'online' course just for you!!! (infact U will have a n 'easy' option cos you'll have to just 'click here' and laminated sheets will appear out of your printer!!!!

My mental health worker came to visit me today and she thinks i should go for this cos her sister is a teacher at a similar school for 11-16 yr olds...and she said that my son's will likely be chosen to join in with the 'unit' children in many activities.

also i rang the councilabout the secondary school issue and was told that if come 3 years time we want him to move on with his peers ...then if the worst happens and we are refused a plac ethen we can appeal on the grounds of him having been at the feeder school for 3 years...having made friends...and get suppiorting letters from his teacher and the Head outlining why he would benefit etc...obviously she can't predict the outcomebut she actually said assuming by then he is still achademically gifted etc...then the secondary school may be desparate to have him and we may have no battle!!!

So after half term i am going to ask to visit the junior school site and meet his likely teacher...check out the distance between the 2 schools....and then take the boys to visit.... and then probably accept.

It's only a 13 mile round trip twice a day.... and likely to take 25 mins each way .... when we walked to the current school it took us 25 mins to walk....and i bet there's many of you who have 25 min school runs.....so i'm trying to overlook the distance thing.

The thing that keeps going over in my head is that Alex would go from being known as 'Attention Seeking' to 'Likely ASD...needs assesment' literally overnight.
And Leigh would be 'understood' and instead of being told off for telling tales..they would do social stories etc.

so i think my mind's made up.

[coppertop]

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[Davros]

MrsF, I have to say that I think you should do what is right NOW and sod the future. As you say, who knows what will happen. We've always done what we think is best now although its so hard sometimes not to try to predict the future and you've got 3 to think about, we didn't.
On another matter, I think we should have a special meet up where we just spend time printing, laminating and velcroing, a bit like sewing circle only more advanced You can be project leader.