07-28-2013, 09:50 PM
I'm placing a trophy on the mantle in honor of my oldest son Michael.
I can't tell you how many challenges he had to overcome this past school year. We underwent a HUGE family crisis and upheaval last fall. He was starting his first year of high school. He is high functioning but has some special needs that require him to work longer and harder than many of his peers.
In spite of all that, I present you with a list of his major accomplishments:
Using the same curriculum as his classmates, he made the Honor Roll with a 91 overall average.
He challenged himself to attain Perfect Attendance for the first time, and he succeeded.
He joined the award-winning Jazz Band as an extracurricular activity for the first time, and loved it.
He ran for the track team and earned a Varsity Letter.
The thing I may be most proud of is this - EVERY staff member who talked to me about Michael during the year could not say enough positive things about him. One teacher went so far as to say that if he had 20 kids like Michael in his class, he would have the easiest job in the school.
In contrast, Michael was a serious behavioral problem in elementary school - including suspension, aggression, property destruction, and more. That all changed in middle school, when everything started to click.
Michael had been saving money to buy his own laptop computer for a couple months. At the end of the school year, I gave him one myself so that he would know how incredibly proud I am of him for his hard work, dedication, and success. I think it's fair to say that he was blown away.
Now he can keep saving for something else.
I can't tell you how many challenges he had to overcome this past school year. We underwent a HUGE family crisis and upheaval last fall. He was starting his first year of high school. He is high functioning but has some special needs that require him to work longer and harder than many of his peers.
In spite of all that, I present you with a list of his major accomplishments:
Using the same curriculum as his classmates, he made the Honor Roll with a 91 overall average.
He challenged himself to attain Perfect Attendance for the first time, and he succeeded.
He joined the award-winning Jazz Band as an extracurricular activity for the first time, and loved it.
He ran for the track team and earned a Varsity Letter.
The thing I may be most proud of is this - EVERY staff member who talked to me about Michael during the year could not say enough positive things about him. One teacher went so far as to say that if he had 20 kids like Michael in his class, he would have the easiest job in the school.
In contrast, Michael was a serious behavioral problem in elementary school - including suspension, aggression, property destruction, and more. That all changed in middle school, when everything started to click.
Michael had been saving money to buy his own laptop computer for a couple months. At the end of the school year, I gave him one myself so that he would know how incredibly proud I am of him for his hard work, dedication, and success. I think it's fair to say that he was blown away.
Now he can keep saving for something else.
MICHAEL
Dad of 3 boys - Michael (19), Andrew (15), Daniel (13) and mentor to 1 boy - Jonathan (13)
Click for My Introduction
Click for My Interview
Dad of 3 boys - Michael (19), Andrew (15), Daniel (13) and mentor to 1 boy - Jonathan (13)
Click for My Introduction
Click for My Interview