The Po Show

Lasts that Last

Today was Matthew's last day of school for the "regular" year (as opposed to the summer session, which begins in two and a half weeks). What a difference a year makes, as last year's last day of school was horrific. He didn't have a placement for the next school year (he'd been given one earlier in the week, when I was told that they'd placed him in the BOCES autism program, then unceremoniously had it taken away the following day when I was informed that that program was full). What should have been a day of closure was instead a day of rushed uncertainty. I had to hustle him out of school with quick goodbyes to the school psychologist who loved him so dearly, feed both kids a hasty lunch, drop Tessa off at a friend's birthday party, and then take Matthew for an interview at the school with the autism program, the one that did not have space for him. I still don't know why they made us go through that, but the psychologist attached to the program set up a meeting with the program teacher, who was very nice, but reiterated that they did not any spots available and actually had several kids on the waiting list.

Today was much better, to cap off a sensationally better year. Matthew enjoyed the pizza lunch, said they had free time all day (he chronicled the great Yu Gi Oh battle he'd won), and he brought home a treasure. It's a photo album the teachers put together and sent home, with pictures of him throughout the year (with cute captions and scrapbook embellishments). The best ones are the one that has the caption "Friends" and shows Matthew laughing with several of his classmates, and a two picture set, the first of which is captioned "All," while the second reads "Smiles," with Matthew smiling broadly in both. The child, for whom school was formerly the site of tragedy, smiling. It's all there, the story of the year.

Today was a little bittersweet for me, because I got to see some of the kids from Matthew's cohort at the "old" school (which of course is still Tessa's school). Today was 5th grade graduation, and they were all dressed up, these kids that Matthew has known since 1st grade, and if things had been different he would have been there with them, moving on.

Instead he's moved on without them, and that's fine, better than fine, because he didn't belong with them. He is where he belongs, a transformation that's built to last.