Taking a Web 2.0 Class

As a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher I am able to take some classes free of charge about technology. I also get clock hours, which is great! So the next few posts will be while I am taking this class. Tonight is on "How to create a blog". Hopefully I will have some good ideas to post for everyone.

Jessa Update #3

I finally got a response from Jessa's dad on Thursday night about private school. He said yes and even gave me his portion of the registration and testing fee! I registered her on Friday. She still has to be tested for placement. I don't know if she will start there this week or if we will just wait until next Monday, which is the beginning of a new month (that would be March!).

I am feeling pretty good about this decision. I still have my doubts, but I think she needs a drastic change and this is the best I have right now. She has been doing very well at her current school, but I still think she is the best thing for her. My plan is to take it slow over the next 4 months and see how the rest of the year goes. If I see a big change then we will keep her there for next year.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and concern. Please put this issue on the long-term prayer list.

Jessa Update #2

Thank you everyone for your prayers! Jessa started at her new school on Monday. She really likes her new teacher. She had a pretty good week, but I am still searching for the best place for her right now. I have looked at all three private schools and have narrowed it down to the one less than a mile from our house. I went and got the paper work and toured the building. I even got to meet who her new teacher would be. We had a really nice talk. I was telling her that Jessa can not handle all the drama and she said, "The thing I like about teaching her as opposed to the public school, is that when a child is struggling with something I can take them aside and pray with them." Sold to the person with the right words this mama needed to hear!

I talked with Jessa's dad about it and let him know I was not going to pay for school on my own. He is all for this school since his 22 year-old girlfriend is a graduate from there and in fact wanted me to send her there at the beginning of the school year. Then when I said it would cost each of us $1,150 over the next four months and that I wanted to change the child support order to reflect his portion, he wasn't as "in" as before. He said he needed to the weekend to think about it.

So that is where we are at. I am sorry I didn't post earlier. It has been a very long week for me and I am still emotional over last Thursday night. I have talked with Jessa's counselor twice this week and he has assured me she is doing ok.

I am very thankful to be surrounded by people who love us and truly care about the well-being of my family. Thank you again!

Jessa Update

Thank you Kim and Rachel (the two people who read my blog) for your prayers and support today. Boy could I feel it.

Today has been an exhausting day, but I think we have made some decent decisions. Both principals at Jessa's old school and her new school were wonderful in expediting the paperwork so that she could start school at the new school on Monday.

I have looked into 3 private schools today, one in each Tri-City. The one in Pasco isn't taking students for this school year. The one in Kennewick has a 4th/5th combo class of 19 and surprisingly the one in Richland has two 4th grade class of only 15 students each! I was very surprised by this. I had a brief phone call with Jessa's dad and it went fine. We are going to talk more this weekend.

I got to meet Jessa's new teacher. Funny thing is she used to work with Kevin at the Spudnut Shop! She seems full of energy. Jessa got to spend a fun day with her grandma Marcia baking valentine goodies and is spending the night there tonight.

Thank you for listening and praying. We still have a long road, but I am glad the decision to leave is over. We will see how the next couple of weeks go.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse...

Thanks Kim and Rachel for your encouragement. The school situation got extremely worse today. I can't bear to write what Jessa said to me, but she will not be returning to her school. She has an appt in the morning with her counselor and then she is going to stay with her grandparents until I get done teaching for the day. Hopefully her transfer papers will go through by the end of the day tomorrow and she will be at a different public school by Monday. If not I will have to find somewhere for her to go during the day until then.

I am in the process of looking at private school options, but obviously that kind of change takes more than a day. I still have to talk with her counselor after her appt. tomorrow and then there is the task of talking with her dad. A prayer request in itself.

My heart is broken right now. I need your prayers.