I have been MIA from this board lately, as we finished up 4th grade in a different school for DD9. This was the most challenging year for us that lead to a decision to change schools to a more GT friendly school and away from daily bullying for DD. They accepted DD to their GT classroom (with 1 year math and LA subject acceleration) for the rest of the year, but for next year they needed testing DD didn't have.

At first we were going to test right away, but as the GT coordinator reminded me, DD may not test well if she is affected by all the changes. I wanted her to test when she is not distracted/nervous. So the last week of school DD had subject specific achievement tests and scored 98-99th percentile in all. Now we are waiting to schedule the WISC for her (she needs 130sh) to get all the acceleration we want. In the GT classroom you can accelerate in math and LA up to 2 years. So for DD it would be 6th or 7th grade math and LA in 5th. Since DD is already grade skipped once, this would be a 3 year acceleration and a great fit.

I hope her WISC scores are reflective of her true abilities and then I can take a deep breath finally!! This year was difficult, but DD knows that her parents will not leave one stone unturned to advocate for her needs. As soon as I spoke with this GT coordinator, I knew this was the right school for DD. When I heard: "I feel that gifted children have special learning needs that are not addressed in the mainstream classroom" I thought I had died and gone to GT heaven, LOL!!!

AWESOME! Thanks for the update and the inspiration!!!! Best wishes with the WISC-IV.

Wow! Is this a public school?

Although I have not posted must lately either due to year end/ summer activities, I felt compelled to congratulate you on this positive change!
It really sounds as if the gifted coordinator and school culture will make a huge difference in your daughter’s future formal educational experience.

Good luck w/ the testing!!!!

Yes, it's a very GT friendly public school. I was beyond surprised to find one within our area after calling countless private schools. I was planning to HS this year because we were just not getting any acceleration for DD. This school isn't perfect but having all GT specialized teachers will certainly help DD find a better fit.

I actually learned about this school when I went to an estate sale and the seller was telling me about her DDs issues with a Montessori school and this public school tested her and found that she was profoundly gifted. This mom said the school went above and beyond to accommodate her. I of course called the school and found a wealth of resources even when we didn't live in the district. I hope this gives others hope that there are GT friendly public schools.

Now I hope the WISC-IV goes smoothly and we can take it easy this summer.

That's wonderful! I am glad you found such a great fit and somebody who gets it! Good luck with the WISC-IV,

That's a treasure of a school and I will be searching for something similar when the time comes. Have a terrific summer!

I am truly happy for you and for your DD

And I hope the test goes well and reflect on your DD's abilities.

Best of luck !

Sounds like a wonderful school. Congratulations, and I hope your DD's testing goes well.