I did a beach wedding on Sunday.... 6 hours away from home... except it rained on Sunday, so it got moved inside.... and b/c everyone in the wedding party was from out of town, it all had to be done on Sunday... we had the rehearsal at 3:30 and the wedding at 4:30... it was crazy madness, but thankfully I had the sweetest couple to work with, and their friends and family were incredible.... but no less, I was on my feet for 8 hours on Sunday, riding for 6 hours on Monday and editing for 12 hours yesterday.... I feel like Ive been run over by a truck - maybe a few times... :)
Anyway...
Yesterday, Wallace came home with a note from school about a play they are doing in his kindergarten class.... this is the gist of what it said...
Our kindergarten class is doing the play "The Wedding of Q & U" (or something like that, I dont remember the exact name).... your child: Wallace , has been given the role of: handing out programs . We have costumes at school for most of the children, but we are asking everyone to wear a white shirt and khaki pants for this very special occasion. Parents are invited to attend.
So... yeah....
what do you guys think?
I would like an outsider's opinion.... how would you feel if your child (special needs or not) came home with this?
Keep in mind that Wallace is in a full-inclusion kindergarten class....
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I suspect he'll love his job but it hurts my mommy heart a bit.
ReplyDeleteI might be a LITTLE miffed, but then id realize that someone has to do that job. Did Wallace seem upset about it? If so, maybe try playing up the importance of the job.
ReplyDeleteI know you want more for your child, and the history with the school has been rocky at best. But, and I mean this as nicely as possible, I would pick my battles with them. To me, this is not something worth being upset. Save your energy for when it's a real issue. Otherwise they will think of you as a complainer every time you log a concern.
If I remember correctly, Wallace is nonverbal right? Again, no offense intended, but what other type of role could he have that would not require speaking? Perhaps you could ask his teacher if there are any roles without any lines?
Allison, Im sure he will...
ReplyDeleteMegan... Wallace wont know the difference... it isnt for his feelings that Im worried, but rather I think its setting a bad example for the rest of his classmates on how to treat kids with special needs...
As a wedding photographer and a mother of 2 "typical" children, I know that it is not a necessary job for someone to hand out the programs - you can just as easily place them at the door and parents will pick them up.
Wallace is non-verbal but in a class of 25 kids, I cant imagine that all of them will have speaking roles - most likely they will be background characters, which Wallace could do - at his pre-K graduation last year, he sang a song with hand motions with the rest of his class and did great (not necessarily understandable, but he did what all the other kids did)... the thing that bothers me is that the other kids will be up on stage - in front of all the parents, except for Wallace - who will be relegated to/hidden in the back, being kept quiet - I just think its a bad example
I could be wrong - maybe there are other children helping pass out programs, but I dont know - and then Ive also wondered if its just the inclusion kids that are being relegated to that position - if so, I think that is just sad... these kids (wallace included) thrive on positive attention just like any other kindergartener.
I am not going to fight this - this is just not that important of a battle to take up with teachers and faculty who could care less about Wallace... they already know how we feel about them... it just makes me sad to think that his classmates may be learning that kids with special needs just arent good enough
Thanks for asking, Megan
Hi Addie--
ReplyDeleteThanks for further clarifying! With this information, I think it'd be a good idea to take a "wait and see" approach. If what you suspect ends up being true, then you would be well within your right to bring it up and ask for an explanation. Waiting will also give you an opportunity to see if other kids are also doing more menial tasks or if Wallace is being singled out. If you called them out on it now, and it ended up being that others were also given "lesser" roles, then it would seem (to them) that you're overreacting.
I totally understand your point, though. It must be very frustrating (to put it mildly!). When is the play? You'll have to be sure to post about it when it's over and let us know how it goes!
I really do hope Im wrong... I really do... but it is very frustrating to see that note when you know others are getting parts. i understand Wallace can be hard at times, but he LOVES putting on a show for people - and this will the last year he is really in an inclusion class, so it makes me sad that this will most likely be the last class play that he is ever in - I hate to know he is going to miss out.
ReplyDeletewhining: it just doesnt seem fair b/c milestones and events like this arent going to happen every time for Wallace, so when it does, its a big deal at our house... this will be just one of many things for the typical students.... I dont know...
I really do hope Im wrong
Oh, and play is May 1st... Ill try to remember to update, but if I forget, remind me...
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