504

We just received Anya's second trimester report card for kindergarten. It likely is not a big surprise that she is doing well. She loves school. We took her out for a day to go on a ski weekend, and she was very unhappy with us.

As with nearly everything, she has adapted so well that it is hardly worth mention. We knew before the school year began that she does not qualify for vision services. In order to receive services through the school district, vision must be 20/70 or worse in the good eye. Anya's good, and only visual, eye ranges from 20/20 to 20/25. We are grateful for that, yet at the same time, there are considerations that need to be made for a person that sees out of only one eye.

That is where the 504 plan comes in. It is a legal document stating what accommodations Anya needs, or has a right to, in the classroom. In the fall we met with the school counselor, principal, Anya's classroom teacher, and a teacher of the visually impaired that works for the district. With the possible exception of the counselor, all people involved in the meeting knew Anya and her situation already. It made for a very easy meeting with everyone involved wanting to all that they could for Anya.

The kinds of things included in her 504 are placement in the classroom - she should (hopefully) never be put all the way on the left side of the room, ability to move about the classroom in order to see better, access to copies of notes,  and options to have work read to her as opposed to her needing to read it. Fatigue is one concern, but we haven't seen it play out to much. At this age it is hard to know if that is something that will affect her or not. As she gets older and needs to read more in school and for homework, we will see if she fatigues more easily due to reading with only one eye. Safety is a big concern, and for that reason it states in her 504 that she must wear her glasses at all times.

Her teacher has been great with Anya, so it is my understanding that all of these requests/demands have been fluid this year. If Anya asks to move to be able to see, she can. Sometimes she doesn't even need to ask. If the light projector is being used, Anya is front and center. The vision teacher has been wonderful as well. We did not expect Anya to receive any services, but the vision teacher thought that Anya should have monthly observations, and Anya has received them thus far. The vision teacher then always sends me an email letting me know what she observed. It is a comfort to know that other people are looking out for our kid.

As we begin to look towards 1st grade next year, some of these concerns may intensify as she will be in school for 6.5 hours each day as opposed to the 2.5 hours she spends in school this year. She will also be involved in specials next year, which will be great exposure for her, but will bring new concerns, namely in P.E. Overall, we have been more than pleased with the experience Anya has had this year and the treatment she has received from the entire staff at her school. If you ever walk through the halls with her, it feels as if you are with a celebrity - everyone knows her and she knows everyone. I have said it before, but am happy to say it again: being at Central has felt like coming home.