Some have asked , " How is Gracie doing ?" She is being taught at home now.

This was Gracie on her first day of public school...she was a bit apprehensive but seemed to enjoy it.

Today being taught by Leah at home

To be honest we fully expected her to finish this school year of 5th grade in public school. She went last year in a special ed class and she did fine. We loved her teacher and felt like the experience was very positive for her and us. So when she started back in August we were not at all expecting for us to change our minds but, we did. She came home the Tuesday after Labor wknd.. If you are a friend of mine on fb you would have seen my post and questions about , What is a code orange at public school ? Because Friday, August 30th changed all of that. We had gotten a call from her teacher at school telling us that Gracie was not feeling well and that her ear hurt her. So I sent Cate down to pick her up. As Cate was driving into the school police were following her and they went inside the school. Cate parked and went to the front door to get Gracie and she was told the school was on lock down . That was all the info. she was given. She called me and was very scared and upset. I called the school and the sec. told me , " It is a code orange. " When I asked what a code orange was she replied alls I can tell you is it is a code orange. I told her that I had just gotten a call from Gracie's teacher that she was feeling ill and my daughter was there to pick her up. She repeated, " Alls I can tell you is it is a code orange." Cate said a police officer validated that they had followed her in to the school and she was legit...but they would not let Gracie out. After an hour I sent Cate back up with the pain meds. she had taken so that she could give it to Gracie in the car on the way home to help relieve her ear pain...I said if they won't let Gracie out maybe they will give her the pain medicine. If not I was coming down...Finally they let Gracie out . Now I am not at all against the lock down and think it was the right thing to do...but , we are not comfortable with how they handled our particular situation and not making an exception to the protocol for a code orange is not the place we want our daughter to be in. We don't feel comfortable that the "next time" the adults in charge would make the right decisions about the safety or well being of our daughter....

Also just minutes before the teacher called I had a not so pleasant conversation with the head of the bus transportation office for Berkeley County Schools. Grace was out of school at 3:10 but not getting home until 4:25 or 4:30. This long bus ride was not making her or us happy. I had spoken with the bus driver and aide ( both were very understanding and nice) about it as well. This head person was not so nice. His first comment to me was, " Well you know she is not in her school district?" I said I would love for her to be in the school in our area but this is where Berkeley Co. has sent her...so it should not be my problem but yours. Last year she was home at 3:50 . I also explained that her meds had been adjusted and the lastest I could give her the last dose was 4. He was not at all understanding and made us feel like he really did not care about our situation.

Now some parents are comfortable with all of this ...some friends have even shared their thoughts but for Paul and I it matters most how Gracie and our family feel about all of this. We just are not convinced or comfortable that others who make decisions about our child will make them in the best interest of our child. So we decided to keep her home. We had been teaching her the past 3 yrs and doing very well. If you ask Gracie she would tell you she wants to be home. Life is tough out there for sure and diff. families have to make their own decisions based on their own needs as did we. A peace has settled into our Faith Works Homeschool that was not quite completely there when she was away from us. We are all glad to have her home .