May 2008
James has enjoyed attending Kline School. While he
continues to struggle with age-appropriate organizational
and study skills James says he loves school. James stays
after school Monday through Thursday to work on his
homework. This has been a great situation to help James
develop the responsibility in homework completion. Staying
after school helps James focus on his homework free of
distractions. With James' ADD/HD and lack of early schooling
he definitely lacks good study habits and organizational
skills. Hopefully over time, with the help of Kline School
staff and the family, James will be able to improve his
study skills and his grades. James will attend summer school
for six weeks at Kline School then he will attend a few
summer camp programs including two weeks at Catalina Sea
Camp. James really enjoyed this camp program which was not
only fun but extremely educational.
February 2008
James started at Kline School this month. We are thrilled that James got accepted into this prestigious private school. We have been worried about James' academic progress lately. While he loved attending our local middle school it was clear to us that he was getting lost in the crowd. James is a people pleaser but he also is very disorganized and out-of-focus when it comes to classroom paperwork and homework. Recently he received less than favorable grades in some of his best subjects. We were concerned that there was no communication ahead of time from the classroom teachers. We were shocked to see these grades without any advanced warning. We soon discovered that because of his disorganization, James often misplaced his school work. Instead of working with James to improve his organization skills he was simply given failing grades. At Kline School James is one of ten students in his class. He will be given individual attention and opportunities to develop strategies to improve his organization. James will also develop advanced technology skills at Kline School as each student has his/her own laptop in the classroom as uses the computer for every subject. In public school learning how to use the computer is left to an elective class. We believe that James will learn the necessary study skills at Kline School that will enhance his education now and in the future.
November 2007
James is enjoying middle school, especially all of the attention he is getting from the girls! Yes, I'm afraid James has discovered girls, or I guess I should say they have discovered him! He receives phone calls and e-mails on a daily basis from girls at school. Just imagine, this is only the beginning---James is only in sixth grade! James continues to be a little disorganized with his school work but other than that he is doing quite well. All of the teachers who we have met only have positive comments about James' classroom behavior and progress. We are very proud of James and his transition from a Russian orphanage to one family and then to our family. James is a great example of how a child from a disrupted adoption can settle in and successfully find his place in another adoptive family. We continue to be delighted to have James as our son!
September 2007
James loved Catalina Sea Camp this summer. He spent three weeks at this sleep-over camp held on the beach in Catalina. James learned how to snorkel and surf. James also tried his hand at sailing and wind surfing. James was very excited about his experience with underwater photography and seafood cooking. The first words out of James' mouth when we picked-up the boys from the boat was "I
DEFINITELY want to go back next year!!" We are excited that James had a good time at this camp and the many others he attended such as Sports Camp, Camp Bravo, Pali Adventures, and Camp Titan. George and Saul attended many of these camps with James. We heard many positive comments from the camp counselors about how the boys supported and encouraged each other. Its nice to hear that the boys stick-up and help each other even when they are away from the rest of the family!
June 2007
James is excited about graduating from elementary school. He will begin middle school in September. This summer James is participating in a number of day and sleep-over camps. James is always full of energy and the camp experience is perfect for him. James spent a week at Camp Titan, came home for one night then was off to Camp Bravo for a week! James is eager to meet new friends, sleep in the cabins, and try new activities. Having a "forever family" has allowed James to have life experiences that weren't available to him in a Russian orphanage. James is the type of person who loves to experience all that life has to offer and participate in every experience with gusto!
April 2007
James continues to make good progress at school. James no longer gets anxious about completing his homework and his class work. James still struggles with distractibility in most environments We are attempting to figure out the best way to address his ADD/HD which can be interfering with his ability to stay focused. In the meantime James is excited about graduating from elementary school and beginning middle school.
This month we will also file for James' adoption. We are just waiting for one more piece of paperwork to clear before we can get a court date. We are looking forward to making James an official member of the Silcock family.
February 2007
James has started taking guitar lessons once a week with three of the other boys. Although he started two lessons behind, he has almost caught up with his brothers. James received a guitar for Christmas and is excited about learning how to play. We often hear James, in his bedroom, practicing by himself. The music teacher we have selected is really kid driven in his instruction. While James is learning how to read music, James is also learning each lesson how to play the basics of specific songs that he has selected.
We appreciate the fact that James' guitar lessons have been funded for the next two months thanks to a generous donation from Bruno Derval and The Moise and Carol Ann Emquies Trust.
We are excited to see James' progress and to watch him develop his natural musical talents.
December 2006
James is doing remarkably well in school. This has been
James' first public school experience and the teachers
report that James is fitting-in beautifully. James does
struggle a little to keep up academically although he tries
very hard. In the beginning of the school year, James
thought homework was optional! Once we got over that
misperception, James' homework completion has much improved.
After school James love to be active. He can spend hours at
the skateboard park or will attend up to two hours of Tae
Kwon Do. The busier James is, the happier he is! James has
also become our resident skateboard repairman. With at least
30 skateboards at home, we are often in need of skateboard
repair. Thankfully, James can fix almost any skateboard
problem.
October 2006
James has made an amazing transition to our family. He is full of energy but is able to follow the family rules very well. James is attending public school for the first time since he came to America. James likes school and is especially gifted in math. James also enjoys the various activities he participates in with his brothers. He especially enjoys skate board lessons and Tae Kwon Do classes. James is also on a roller skating team and took second place in a recent competition. Currently James is in the cast of the MYART production of "Peter Pan."
July 2006
