Cole Spring Parent Conference

This morning we went to Cole's spring parent conference at his school. Cole is doing so well in school. As we wrap up the 2nd grade and look towards next year, it is refreshing to see how much was accomplished this year. I am attaching the little write-ups that his teachers do for each conference.
Enjoy!

"Rivendell is a perfect fit for Cole. I cannot imagine how he was challenged in another classroom setting. He is a sponge for information and can handle just about any assignments that we give him. He is articulate when he does feel overwhelmed and is quickly relieved when we assure him that he is doing a good job. He can be a bit chatty with friends but a subtle reminder always refocuses him. We want to make sure we have a balance with pushing him and having him feel unnecessary stress. Cole is still young and has a wonderful imagination. He has embraced out new writing workshop and his stories are rich and creative. He uses inflection when he read his stories, and our kids’ eyes light up when he is in the author’s chair. At Rivendell, we evaluate each child and after talking to Inta and Kate, we feel that Cole could move up to the Older Kids (4th and 5th graders) next year. He has befriended many 3rd grade boys and would be with them next year. This would give Cole the challenge he could certainly handle. The pace is a bit faster and Jane and Ashley’s curriculum is rich, interesting, and exciting. He will be exposed to a more abstract level of thinking. The curriculum includes novel study, hands-on science activities, and opportunities for him to explore more sophisticated academics. We all agree that Cole will be ready for this. There will be other children his age moving up and with the loss of the 6th grade; the age span will not be too extreme. He can continue his math curriculum this summer if he is interested, and he can come in to test with Pat whenever it is convenient with you. Cole is a wonderful, bright child and I loved having him. Thank you for trusting us with him, I look forward to watching him grow at Rivendell. I can’t wait to see what wonderful things he will accomplish in this world."
~Michelle

"I’m so glad that Cole has been in our classroom. He is an intelligent, quick, and fun little boy. He adjusted well to our Rivendell ways and seems very content and happy to be at school. I love kids that are motivated and work hard and do well. Cole definitely fits this bill. He has done amazing in his studies, rising to levels above what is usually considered Middle Kids (2nd and 3rd graders) what a star he is at vocabulary! I am always so impressed with his ability in that 5th grade book. These are not easy questions to digest and Cole takes them in stride. Cole still struggle with his handwriting. I have seen improvement with his attempts at cursive. This might be a better choice for him. As we look to next year, we are considering moving some of our 3rd graders up to Older Kids one year early. I think Cole would be a good candidate for this move. He would be surrounded with kids closer to the levels that he is currently working on. He also would have the friendships of the current 3rd grade boys in our class and Bryce’s. We’d like to hear your thoughts on this. I have enjoyed getting to know Cole. He is a very polite, kind, and sweet boy. He is very smart and I enjoy seeing him use his potential here. "
~Inta