Friday, September 28, 2012

Good Sign?




It's very early, but this was in my email today! The high school uses School Loop. It's awesome. I get an email everyday with a progress note and current grades. Just LOOK! We are doing a happy dance. These are the grades he's always been capable of. Amazing what caring and motivating teachers can do.



The marching band went to the football game tonight, and played from the stands.


Riley, playing clarinet. He is a completely different person when he's with his band friends. He interacts!! It's amazing and has been a long time coming.


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Sunday, September 9, 2012

Marching Band

Riley's first performance with the marching band was on Saturday.


We had to get up at dark o'clock, to be at the school by 5:00 am.



We all took Bart (in the dark) to Berkeley. It was High School Band Day at UC Berkeley. 22 high school bands performed at halftime, with Cal's band. It was a really long day, but fun was had by all. Cal's band is enormous! After the football game, the band got to march through campus. They also got a tour of the campus, earlier in the day.


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Friday, September 7, 2012

A Change of Venue

I haven't updated here in a long time. I am not sure I will keep this site up. People interested in Riley, just ask me questions. I am not sure I feel a need to constantly update. I think I needed to get my frustrations out over the last two years. I feel less frustrated. I have a great support system, and I am leaning on those people. Things are good right now. We tweaked some things, made some changes, and are using the resources available to us. We are thankful for good healthcare.



Riley started high school on Wednesday. He loves it. He's in the marching band (and spent two weeks at band camp this summer-during the day, it wasn't a sleep away camp). He loves it. He has his first performance tomorrow at UC Berkeley. They are playing during halftime of the football game. It will be an early, long day, but we are looking forward to it.

I love everything about the high school. They are wonderful. We met with them in May to discuss stuff and everything we came up with has happened so far. I guess the junior high is just a holding tank before high school. A waste of two years if you ask me. It's so much better at the high school. Riley has noticed a huge difference in the attitudes of the kids. So much more accepting and kind. Jr. High kids are just rotten.

At the end of last school year I sent a nasty email to the head of special ed and the district's superintendent. They never responded. I wanted them to know how awful the last two years have been. Apparently they don't care. It's fine. I know the high school cares, and as long as they keep caring, it won't be a problem. I think he finally gets an IEP.


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