GATE 101.

So, it turns out Anna's pretty smart. Have I mentioned this before? The school invited us to have her tested for GATE, and, though I've got some issues with labeling, in general, I figured, what the heck, let's just see how she tests and make decisions from there. Confirmed: she's smart as a whip. Smart enough that she qualified for a highly gifted program within the school district. So here were my concerns:
1. I hate labeling. What is "gifted" anyway? Isn't every child gifted in some way? Will placing my child in a highly gifted program give her cause to claim superiority over other kids her age? What if she falls short, academically speaking, some day? Will her identity be so tied to her intellect that it could be catastrophic for her?
2. Anna is shy. It took her almost a full year to adjust to kindergarten, socially-speaking. Having her transfer schools at this point, when her fear of change paralyzes her so, could be scary.
3. The school is a 25 minute one-way daily commute. Yes, there are buses, but, putting my second-grader on a bus for 2 hours a day does not exactly sit well with me. Besides, I already have complaints about the amount of time the public school system monopolizes - now I want them to keep her away for an extra two hours? Hmm. Driving her to and from school, every day, while I have a kindergartener in our neighborhood school didn't sound fun, either.

This whole process was enlightening for me, really. As I considered Anna's cognitive talents, I began to look at them differently. You see, I had always wanted her to be "normal". I sometimes downplayed her abilities, thinking that she could be smart and still succeed in the average class setting. And, while her teachers did an excellent job at differentiating various learners, I still feel that the tendency is to teach to the middle. Also, I see that her struggles with peers are a byproduct of the fact that she feels uncomfortable in her own skin. I mean, doing division and reading Harry Potter in first grade doesn't make you a hit with everyone else. So, at the risk of oversimplifying just how much research we did, and how many options we considered, and how much prayer went into our decision to figure out the best way to help Anna find joy in pursuing this particular talent of hers, we've decided to enroll her in a school across town with classes for highly gifted children. Fortunately, another girl from her grade (whom we know quite well) will be attending with her, thus alleviating concerns number 2 and 3. Wish us luck.