I had 3 way conferences for Monster and Dude today.  It is a really neat process, and I sort of wish my old school would use this process.  

What they do is have the students write a goal (or two).  They come up with ways to meet their goals as well as ways for those around them to help them meet those goals.  Then in the conference, it is 3 way because it is a meeting between the parent(s), student, and teacher.  The student is mostly in control of the meeting.  During the meeting, the parent(s) and teacher help the student to determine another goal or two to work on.  The student also tells the parents how things have been going and show their work to the group.

So I had Dude’s meeting in the morning.  We ended up not having it because Love was late getting to the school with Dude.  I was there with the teacher waiting, but he had another meeting to attend.  

I had a meeting with the vice principal before Dude’s meeting to discuss Monster.  This whole thing has been a roller coaster.  I spoke with the other HOD of my department as well as the secondary vice principal.  I work with him in an English class, and he has been in Hong Kong for a really long time.  I was asking him opinions about the other schools my HOD had suggested.  He was upset that anyone was trying to push Monster out of the school.  I told him that she was making things hard for her teachers.  He said that was too bad.  I really appreciated his words.  They were the extreme to what my HOD said(don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the discussion I had with my HOD.  I know she cares about Monster and is trying to help us with the best for her), but it made me feel better about Monster being in the school.  The other HOD of my department had similar sentiments.  She didn’t like the idea of moving Monster so fast after taking out of her home.  She didn’t even like the idea of sending her to the learning center.  

So I met with the primary vice principal.  I am not sure what I expected out of this meeting.  I am learning to dread meetings when they mention Monster’s name.  So far, each time I’ve had to meet with anyone regarding Monster, I usually end up in tears.  Not because anyone is mean or hurting me or her.  It is just too much to process after a certain point.  Maybe that’s the issue.  I am hitting my limit in processing and just break…..

Anyway,  I quite literally want to run the other way.  

She said she had met Dude.  She said she was so impressed with him.  She couldn’t believe how articulate and friendly he was and said we should be proud.  Of course I’m proud of my dude.  

We got into the Monster discussion.  She asked me what has been said to me already regarding Monster’s placement.  I told her about my previous conversation with HOD.  She said she understood the need for a different placement, but she was not okay with a 3 step plan (so here, then another school, then the learning centre).  She wanted me to turn in the paperwork for the learning centres in our company.  It would take a couple years for her to be placed, but in the meantime, they would do the best they could for her.  She was not okay with Monster going to another school just for the sake of placing her in another school.  She said, while they would have smaller class sizes, they are not the proper place for Monster to go.  She also didn’t want to move her around that much.  She was adamant that it would be detrimental to Monster and her overall well-being.  She thought that would do more harm than good for Monster.  

Honestly, I completely agree, but I wanted to cooperate with the school since they had been so kind to us so far.  

So the plan is to turn in the necessary paperwork to the school and allow that to take its course.  They will do whatever they can for Monster in the meantime.  She assured me that any measures taken for her would not be temporary.  They would be continued until such time she is accepted into the appropriate programming in the learning centre.  It could be in two years, four years, or the day she graduates from school.  Who knows when they will actually have a spot for her open.  Until then though, I’m not sure what to do.