Last year at tithing settlement our Bishop challenged us to read the Book of Mormon before the April General Conference, and promised us that if we did we would have miracles happen in our family. This year when we met with him again he asked if we had taken his challenge. Eli confessed that while we did begin to read the Book of Mormon as a family, we did not finish it prior to the goal of General Conference. He was then happy to report that although we were not able to complete the challenge, we did have miracles happen in our family.
In April of 2009 we moved dad up to Utah to live at Courtyard at Jamestown, an assisted living facility with an "enhanced care" unit that catered to people with memory loss. The move and transition to Jamestown went really well and dad thrived while he was living there. They had daily activities and went on weekly field-trips, plus the staff there really loved dad! It was the perfect place, except that dad was always lonely...When I would go pick him up in the evenings he would tell me how lonely it is to live alone. I would remind him of all the people he had around him and all the activities he was participating in, but at the end of the day when he would go to his room he would forget all about anything but the fact that there was no one there with him at the end of the day.
In February as we were finishing remodeling what would have been our master bedroom, we realized that it would be a good bedroom for dad. It had it's own bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a TV hook up and room for his recliner. It would be the perfect "guest" room. So, at the end of March, dad moved in with us.
Eli quit teaching at Provo Canyon School, which is a private school for troubled teens with three campuses in Utah County, in order to stay home with dad. This was the perfect plan. I would continue working, since I had better benefits at UVU and Eli would be the one to stay home with dad. This would also give Eli more time to finish up the projects we had around the house. That was the plan...
Plans change though. Tanner was a freshman at Provo High and was having some problems with bullying. Eli had gone to talk to the principal several times, but the issue was never really resolved. It's been so sad to see Tanner loose all interest in going to school and his grades began falling...even in the classes he used to love. We toughed it out with hopes that Tanner would be picked in the lottery at UCAS and would not need to go back to Provo High for 10th grade. But darn it! He wasn't picked until #89 on the waiting list. We really didn't want to send Tanner back to Provo High, so we started looking at other options.
When Tanner didn't get in to UCAS Eli went to meet with the Academic Adviser, that would have been over him, to find out what Tanner needed to be doing in school this year in order to be ready to enter UCAS as a Junior. Although they have a high rate of interest, after the first year at UCAS there are usually several students that opt to return to their neighborhood high school, so if Tanner is ready he may be able to attend UCAS next year. This was good news, but it didn't really help us with what to do for 10th grade.
To start getting up to the level he needed to be at in math, Tanner took an Algebra class at UVU during the summer and did very well...he aced the class! It was good to see him enjoying school again! He was going into the Math Lab at UVU and studying with other students and was able to build some healthy relationships with some of them. It was refreshing to have him in a learning environment where everyone was just there to learn and no one needed to feed their ego by picking on the "little guy." This too was a good opportunity, but it still didn't help with what to do for 10th grade.
During our quest to find the right place for Tanner, Eli remembered a program called eSchool that was used at one of the high schools where he had subbed. It was the high school that is connected to the youth detention center here in Provo, and when Eli checked into it he found out that it is usually used as an option for kids that have been expelled from several traditional high schools. We also found out that in order to participate you have to be referred by your regular high school.
Our plan changed and we decided to transfer Tanner to Independence High, where he would be enrolled in some on campus classes and some eSchool classes, but have him continue with math at UVU through concurrent enrollment. Independence High School is Provo School District’s alternative school for secondary students. Students who attend Independence do so by referral from either middle school or their regular high school, usually because of behavior, attendance or credit issues. Even though most people think the students at Independence are typically the "bad kids" we felt good about sending Tanner there, because the class size is purposely kept low in order to keep up the standard of educational services for struggling students. They also assured us that students that are deemed "unsafe" at their regular high school would also be deemed unsafe at Independence, and bullying was never tolerated. When we discussed this option with Tanner and he was okay with it. At first he really wanted to be able to continue with his Jr ROTC that he was taking at Provo High, but he also liked the idea of taking more classes at UVU.
When Eli went to meet with the principal at Provo High to get the referral, of course he was surprised and wanted to know what they could do chance our minds and keep Tanner there...I'm sure he was truly concerned for Tanner and not considering the tax money he would be losing. Eli reminded him that he had been in to visit with him several times during the year with concerns about Tanner being bullied, so they already knew what could be done. It was just that they hadn't done anything! The principal even invited Tanner's counselor into the meeting, and when Eli mentioned that we also wanted Tanner to take his math classes at UVU she said that Tanner's math score did not support a recommendation for that. It was so nice for Eli to be able to tell her that actually Tanner had already completed an Algebra class there and earned an A!...it is amazing how well a student can do when the teacher they have teaching math actually loves the subject. The principal asked us to give him a week in order to meet with "his team" and come up with a plan.
The plan "the team" came up with was keeping Tanner at Provo High for three electives and Seminary, having him take three eSchool classes, and continuing his math through UVU. Tanner really liked this option, because now he would be able to continue with his Jr ROTC class, so we decide to go with this plan.
It has worked out well, for the most part. Tanner is enjoying Jr ROTC, and was made Flight Commander of his flight. Jr ROTC has been good for him too, he is learning discipline and the added leadership role has helped him learn to deal with other students that may not want to be doing what is on the agenda for the day. The administration at the school are also now very aware of who Tanner is and are regularly checking in with him to make sure he fells safe and is not being bullied.
eSchool however, has not turned out quite like we expected. During the summer they switched the program they use, so this class gets to be the guinea pigs and work out all the kinks. The lessons are very broad-based and poorly written, making it hard to tell what it is they are trying to get across. The tests and quizzes are also poorly written. They also seem designed to "trick" the student. After reading the question instead of giving several good options for answers, they have answers that are almost verbatim from the text, but with one small word change that might go unnoticed. Due to how bad eSchool is put together, Eli has been going through and reading the lessons, then taking the quizzes (and not always getting above a 70, because the questions are SO bad!), and then teaching the lessons to Tanner once he has figured out what the concept is they are trying to teach and figures out the logic of the questions. Then Tanner takes the tests. It's been way more time-consuming then we had anticipated. Needless to say, we probably won't do eSchool again; but through it all, Tanner has been getting much better grades, learning some good study habits, and regaining his self-esteem.
It's funny how now looking back at some of the trials and hardships we have gone through in the past few years, I can see how the things we were going through brought us to this point to be able to help our son. If dad hadn't been so lonely at Jametown and moved in with us, Eli would not have been home during the day and taking classes through eSchool and UVU would not have been viable options. And looking back at the financial struggles we went through when Eli decided to go back to school to become a teacher, I see that in the grander scheme of things those struggles were SO worth it so that Eli had the skills to be able to help Tanner.
So yes, we have had miracles in our life this year!
