Tennessee Governor's Academy

Wow! Taryn received nomination to apply!

http://tga.tennessee.edu/academics/index.shtml

Taryn is very interested. She loves the idea of learning in a non-traditional environment and I've seen her in action getting way into field studies in environmental studies, hiking, science/research, and boldly forging into rivers and caves on field trips in middle school. She loved the outdoor classroom. She also really likes the idea of helping deaf students with math & science while learning ASL. I wonder if this program is way beyond a normal American kid though.

It is a long shot, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. What an amazing opportunity - especially to springboard to a college.


Email I sent to school teachers and counselor:

Taryn has been offered an opportunity to apply to the Tennessee Governor's Academy, and for the past month, has been steadily working on her application essays, while rehearsing for the school play, studying, and hopefully, competing ALL her school assignments. We're proud she is willing to put herself on the line at a vulnerable time a teen's life, knowing that her chances of receiving one of 12 spots for girls is very, very slim. She is not a perfect student, but she is intelligent and unique, and as parents, we'd like her to walk away from this experience feeling good about herself. If you could please let her know that you are working on the teacher recommendations and provide some encouragement, it would go a long ways to boost her morale and self-confidence.

I'll try to be brief, but I'd like to share something about Taryn that may help you to see how far she has come as a student. I'm by no means trying to put words in anyone's mouth for the recommendations, but Taryn has overcome some adversity that I feel is worth mentioning. (If anything, this information will probably rule her out of TGA). As you may know, Taryn has ADHD. When diagnosed in the 3rd grade, she could not read a book by herself because her eyes could not focus on the words. She got grades each week ranging from A's to F's. We never knew what day she'd get an A or an F in the same subject! It was horrible to see our child withdrawing and losing her sense of self worth. But a wonderful thing happened - multiplication tables! She was the first girl and the 3rd child in her class to memorize them all. Excelling at math was the only thing that saved her self confidence. Another positive occurred when the school counselor listened to our concerns and helped us get Taryn tested and diagnosed. The miracle happened the first weekend Taryn tried medication for ADHD. She read an entire Harry Potter book. My child, who was faking reading along with the class so nobody would know she couldn't read, was able to finally read for her own enjoyment!

From the beginning, Taryn has been adamant about not being labeled by having an IEP. In our home, we do not oversee homework or manage our children's time for them. It's not easy, especially for Taryn and her younger sister who also has ADD, and sometimes this has hurt her grades. But Taryn tries to give her best effort, and we decided to celebrate that over straight A's. While in middle school she was not placed in the pre-algebra class she was capable of, because she didn't test well on the english portion of the placement exam, and the school would not make an exception. An IEP might have changed that. This year, Taryn is trying to regain ground by taking both algebra and geometry, so that she can go as far as possible mathmatically in high school to put herself in a better position to get in a college of her choice.

Even though TGA sent out a larger mailing this year to double their applications, after all she's been through to succeed academically, we think it's pretty special to have made the list to begin with. Thank you Ms. Foster for your kind words about that in an earlier email. Considering the obstacles, we're so proud of Taryn; she has taken the initiative herself to complete this application to TGA with NO help from her parents.

Slightly off subject, but still pertinent, I'd like you all to be aware that Taryn recently requested a reduction in her medication, and has been on a lower dose this week. Will you please let me know if you see her struggling or notice any changes that could be something to keep an eye on.

Thank you very much,
Chrissie