Math Camp

Math Camp

Did I mention that Hubby and I are thinking of having a Math Camp this Summer? We're going to contact the kid's former private school and see if they'll do assessments on all 4 of the kids. Bob and Ponito can get ahead a little - won't hurt them, and Bob was complaining that she was having trouble in math this year. Then we can have them do PACES all Summer. Rewards could include real money. They could budget their money, open checking accounts, get jobs (even if it's working for the parents as janitors), investing, responsibility for the food budget and shopping, playing the stock market, saving for something big (maybe a Wii or Ipods?). Field trips to places that "use math" like NASA...

Summer school hasn't worked well with Bear -

1st Summer - Bear is raging out of control and is abusive, aggressive and intimidating. We have to chemically sedate him for his own safety and that of the family. He does attend Summer school, but can only attend when the director is there. He ends up sleeping due to the medication most of the time. Half way through the Summer a bed finally opens up in residential treatment.

2nd Summer - less than 2 weeks into mandatory Summer school (he failed the required state assessment which supposedly meant he couldn't be promoted to high school, but they let him anyway), Bear is kicked out of school for bringing a toy gun that he's altered to look scarily real and showing it off. His intentions were to trade it for drugs. He also had on him 2 cell phones stolen from our family.

3rd Summer - Bear does nothing during the first session of Math because the school told him it was not for credit (made As and Bs in math, but failed the state assessment test). Made a 37. Second session he skipped almost every day and hung out with his friends and girlfriend apparently doing drugs and having sex until he was caught.

It's been a little easier with Kitty, but not much.

1st Summer - she does OK in camp, but is stressed out completely by the social aspects.

2nd Summer - she has workbooks to work on to try to catch her up some. She fights me on it the whole Summer.

3rd Summer - I spend the whole Summer home with her keeping her emotionally regulated. No social life, no academics, minimum stress.

Well, we have plenty of time until next Summer. I'll keep thinking about it.