Ed Note: This letter was written by a GRADDA Mom who has since moved from the area and we've lost track of her. I did not get her permission to publish it so names and personal references have been deleted.
September, 1997
Dear (Teacher),
Our son, __________ is enrolled in your 10th grade class this year. There is some background information that might be helpful in working with him . We will briefly describe it here. Please contact (his counselor) if you would like more specific information on file in his office.
__________was tested by Dr.__________ in October of 1996 because he was becoming extremely frustrated with his academic efforts and progress at school. He was diagnosed as showing definite ADD tendencies without hyperactivity. Ritalin was prescribed and by mid-year of 9th grade, ____________________ and his teachers were seeing some positive results. However, there are some areas that continue to be difficult for him. These are:
____________ tends to be a holistic learner. Therefore courses like English and Social Studies are easier for him while subjects with more specific information like Spanish and Math might be more difficult. He often does very well on quizzes and tests - but then his grade is lowered due to missing assignments and graded notes.
He is learning a great deal about himself and we are hopeful that this year he will be more willing to ask you for help when and if he needs it. If you notice that ____________ is not handing assignments in on time - or needs help of any kind - please contact us ASAP! He might still need the weekly monitoring system that was used last. year. But. we'll leave that to you to determine.
We'd like to thank you in advance for your cooperation. We do appreciate the extra effort that might be needed for _________‘s success in your class.
Sincerely,
(Mom)
PO Box 23565, Rochester, New York 14692-3565.
(716) 251-2322
e-mail us at gradda@gradda.com
