At Jonalyn’s most recent IEP meeting in October, we expressed our concerns about a few things, including her having friends of her own cognitive abilities. In fact, we have been researching other placement options for her.
I did mention that perhaps I could bring in treats on her gotcha day since her birthday is in the summer. Her wonderful teacher jumped right in and began planning a big party. She invited all of the 5th grade girls to come – and I think they all showed up. They were so excited.
When they came in the room, they decided they wanted to surprise Jonalyn, so they hid behind the tables so they could jump out.
Jonalyn’s not quite sure what’s going on.
The teacher set a special place for her at the table with an extra large goody bag.
The theme was Frozen, so we made snowmen from marshmallows.
I brought subs, chips, grapes, juice, and
cupcakes!
You can see how much she’s loved.
Her teacher. This woman is amazing.
Even the boys had to stop in and see what was going on. They had their noses pressed against the windows while they were out at recess so they could have a peek.
After lunch, they played a game to see who could toss the ball in the farthest bucket.
Jonalyn won, but as you can see, it wasn’t a fair fight LOL! She’s way beyond the line. The girls were so gracious. None of them complained about Jonalyn bending the rules, or about her winning.
The entire gang.
It was so good for me to see that the kids truly do enjoy Jonalyn and treat her well. We’re breathing a little easier knowing that deciding to keep her where she is for the time being is a good decision.
Then, of course, we had to celebrate at home. She’s been ours for 7 years already. Wow, can you believe it? Seems like only yesterday and yet it feels like she’s been with us forever.
