@CateCAParent Thank you. I really appreciate the acknowledgment that sometimes the student knows what’s best for the student. I got another story last night about accidentally doing the homework that had been assigned ahead so it hadn’t been taught and he hadn’t read the lesson in the book. Problems were easy peasy. We shall see. I told him to please keep track if he learns anything that may have been a “hole” from previous math. As in, did his old school skip a huge chunk of Algebra I or something? He said ok. I think he understands what’s going on. I was also told that based on everything he would almost certainly be in honors math next year. Still kind of shaking my head about that logic (?).
The better news is that socially things are improving. That was a rocky start as well but good to hear from him that he shifted perspective and he even said to me “well I think new friends are much smarter than old friends.” He’s not a snob, just never had a friend who was smart and cared about school. So it’s good.
I also pointed out that with two club sports in the spring to manage maybe it is good to take it easy in two classes (language and math) which is not his nature. Likely next year we will ask to be moved down a level on one of the club teams but that choice needs to be in the future.