As the end of school year is approaching, we are trying to figure out our 5 year old son's kindergarten situation, which school will best serve him.
Choice 1: Pembroke Elementary
LRC (Learning Resource Center) teacher: Ms. Leah Johnston
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-johnston-32319895
Gen Ed Homeroom teacher : Unknown
what we know
He will be sitting with typical peers 80-90% of the day in Gen Ed classroom with para professional
He will go to LRC 30-45 min a day
He will get a school bus but not sure it is curbside
Ged Ed classroom will have up to 20 kids
He will use the sensory room for PT, OT
what we don't know
If the support in Pembroke is enough for him
we don't want him to suffer going to school, but also don't want to give up Inclusion in Ged Ed environment.
Choice 2: Greenfield Elementary
CI (Cognitive Impairment) room teacher Mr. Benjamin White
Gen Ed Homeroom teacher : Unknown
He will spend (we don't know for sure but 50%-majority of his day) in Cognitive Impairment room. Rest of the time he will go to Gen Ed classroom.
There is a Buddy system where he will have his inclusion buddy
He can go in and out of sensory room as much as he want.
CI room has only 6 kids in the classroom , age K-5 mixed age, learning at their slower pace.
He gets picked up curbside
What we don't know
If the amount of Inclusion in Ged Ed will increase over time
If there is a case of a student, who started in CI room and ended up in GenEd in middle school, or high school.
It is a tough call for a parent of special need kid.
Ultimately we will be responsible for the decision, not knowing how it affects him/ us. If we end up receiving calls from schools everyday, pointing out his problems and being reminded that he doesn't "belong" in Gen Ed, and he should just go to CI classroom, or being told that he is doing "fine" in the CI room, which is not a real world. It is a world created to best suit these little ones with special needs to learn at their pace. Which sounds like a perfect plan, but actually, I'm not sure.
What we don't know the most, is if he learns better in a environment surrounded by peers that are more advanced than him, or peers that are at his speed.
Coming from Germany, it is already frightening to send him to US public schools, without knowing the cultures. However I do believe Inclusion best serves him. He was in Waldorf kindergarten, and he was happy and we were happy to see him making friends with typical peers. I just want to make sure, he will be in good hands in Pembroke.
The positive effect inclusion will bring to our loved ones :