A Big Meeting

I got a call from one of the hospital/MSTI school teachers about meeting together at Kayla's school to discuss some special "needs" she might have.  So, that first week of school, I went and met with this MSTI teacher, Kayla's teacher, the principal, the school nurse, the school counselor, and the school psychiatrist.

We spent an hour going through and creating a 504 plan (I think that is what it is called) for Kayla.  Basically, we went over any special needs she might have.  These included things like where she should sit in the classroom to accommodate her eyesight and her low immune system.  Her teacher said she would have her sit in her own desk next to the table where 8 other kids sit facing each other.  She would have her own set of supplies that are normally shared among the students.  Her teacher is also going to make sure to have Kayla wash her hands after recesses and other times when they have left the classroom.  The computer teacher will wipe down the computer and keyboard that Kayla will use, the music teacher will wipe down the instruments that Kayla will use, etc.  The nurse will inform me if there are any strange sicknesses going around school or times when many kids in a class are staying home sick at the same time, etc.

This made me feel a lot better about sending Kayla to school.  I was a little worried on the second day of school about Kayla's hand-washing.  I had always been with her to remind her to wash her hands each time she came in from outside, or before eating anything, or when we got home from any place.  I wasn't sure Kayla would be as good about it at school without me there.  So, after discussing a lot of things with this group of educators, I felt a whole lot better.  She has a wonderful teacher who is basically taking my place for those several hours while she is at school.  In some ways, I feel bad putting so much extra work on this teacher, but everyone there at the meeting was more than accommodating and wanted to do all that they could to help.  Even the principal shared an experience with her nephew who had recently been diagnosed with leukemia.  This was the closest she had been to anyone going through the chemotherapy thing and other stuff along with that, so she was very empathetic and wanting to do whatever we needed.

We are all going to be watching Kayla's progress through school--even past kindergarten.  The chemo can effect the cognitive process and as the work gets more difficult we might see more of this side effect.  For now, I know she is perfectly fine and doing great with school and learning.  It makes me a little worried about her future schooling, though.

So, all in all, it was a really good meeting and an official document was filled out all about Kayla and her condition.  I feel really good about how she is being taken care of there.  I still have my worries about kids sharing food at lunch and things like that. . . Kayla knows that she shouldn't share food with people, but still, she's only 5 and when a friend offers her a smartie or something like that at school, I am not super confident that she will say no.

So far she has done great and made many friends and has totally come out of her shell.  What a great girl!