school update

Michael and I went to Branson's 2nd grade parent-teacher conference. I was pleased with the over-all vibe of the meeting especially given the conduct grades Branson has been bringing home. Mrs. Robinette said Branson is a very bright student and is scoring above average on all his SAT scores.She said he tends to finish his work quickly and this gives him a lot of free time at his desk and this spells trouble for an already over-active student. Branson has struggled with his conduct since he started school and we have worked with him continually on this. I had hoped his misbehavior was mainly talking and the teacher did confirm this for me. I wanted her to know we are working with her from home and disipline him when he receives poor grades. When I asked what we could do to help in this area she suggested we encourage him in reading. If we can get him interested in a series of books he will have something to occupy him when he finishes his work. This will also help him in his Accelerated Reading Program. The AR program has the students read books then take a test on the computer afterwards. If they reach a certain point goal and accuracy within the 9 weeks then they get to participate in special activities like jump-a-roos, parties, and in the 2nd grade they go to the movies and take special field trips.

Mrs. Robinette thanked us for coming and mentioned how nice it was to have both parents attending the conference. I have to say I left there with a much better feeling about the year than I went in with. I had the idea she had a sour taste for Branson because of his conduct but I didn't get that impression at all. She was delightful and encouraging towards him. I know he is a challenge in the classroom but a good teacher will be able to harness his energy into something positive.