"I got an email from Katie's teacher this afternoon," Amy shared as she and Sheldon were driving home from work. "He wants to set up a parent-teacher conference."
Sheldon glanced at his wife and sighed, "Did he say why he wants to meet with us? There are less than three weeks of school left. She hasn't mentioned anything out of the ordinary, has she?"
"Not that I can think of. Let's talk to her before I reply to the email. My schedule is pretty light the next few days. Do you have any days that will work better to suggest we meet?"
"I have a few things this week, but I can move them around. Let Mr. Murray know we can meet as soon as possible," commented Sheldon, parking the car outside their house.
Entering the front door, eleven-year-old Leo greeted them like he did every day. "Hi, mom. Hi, dad. I finished my homework already and had pretzels with peanut butter for a snack. Katie's been upstairs since we got home. What's for dinner?"
Amy smiled at the fifth grader. "I hadn't really thought about dinner. Dad and I have to talk to Katie, then I'll find something for dinner."
"Katie Beth," Sheldon knocked on the seventh grader's bedroom door. Hearing a response, he opened the door and was followed in by Amy. "We need to talk to you."
"What's up?" the twelve-year-old looked up from her computer.
Sitting next to the girl on her bed, Amy pulled out her phone. "I got an email from Mr. Murray this afternoon. He wants to have a parent-teacher conference with dad and I. Is there something going on at school that we need to know about before I reply to his email?"
"Not that I know of," she replied. "I have straight A's and I'm ahead in a lot of my classes. Am I in trouble for something?"
"No, not right now at least. That might change after we talk to Mr. Murray, though. We wanted to check with you first so we have an idea of why he wants to talk to us," answered Sheldon, watching his daughter's body language. "We'll let you go back to whatever you were doing." The couple exited their daughter's room and closed her door again. "I think she's telling the truth and she really doesn't know why we need to have a parent-teacher conference. You reply to the email and I'll find something to start for dinner. Maybe spaghetti with hot dogs?"
Two days later, Sheldon and Amy were waiting for Katie's teacher outside the school office. "Dr. Cooper, Dr. Fowler, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me on such short notice. I've asked Ms. Tate to join us, as well," Mr. Murray motioned for the couple to join him in the principal's office.
Sheldon was antsy sitting across the desk from the principal and teacher. "What's going on? We talked to Katie and she didn't know of any reason why you would ask to meet with us."
"Katie is a phenomenal student. I've never had a student as bright as her. After speaking with the eighth-grade teacher, as well as Ms. Tate, we would like to recommend Katie skip the eighth grade and begin high school in the fall. We've gone over the eighth-grade curriculum and she is already familiar with the new concepts that she would be introduced to next year. We believe Katie will be challenged more by being allowed to skip a grade," the teacher suggested, causing Amy and Sheldon to look at one another.
"Do we have to make a decision right away? Would it be possible to think about it and talk to Katie first?" Amy questioned as Sheldon sat silently beside her.
Ms. Tate nodded her head, "That's alright, however, it would be best to make a decision before the end of the week so we can transfer Katie's enrollment for the fall to the high school and she'll have time to select her classes for next year."
The couple exited the school after talking for another ten minutes with their daughter's teacher and principal. Silent as they crossed the parking lot back to their car, neither wanting to be the first to speak. "I don't want her to skip eighth grade," Sheldon finally shared his thoughts on the situation.
Amy started the car and reached for Sheldon's hand. "I got that feeling sitting in the principal's office when you didn't say anything."
"I skipped a lot of grades growing up," he reminded his wife. "I started high school when I was nine. Katie will be turning thirteen two weeks before school starts. She is already the youngest in her class, now we're going to let her be even younger than her classmates? Katie could be in the same classes as eighteen-year-olds. I didn't like being the youngest kid in the room. I don't want her to feel the way I felt in school."
"I doubt she'd have any problems being younger than everyone if she skips to high school in the fall. Katie makes friends so easily, Sheldon. She'll find friends at school. She can still see her other friends after school or on weekends," Amy tried to reason with the man in the passenger seat.
Sheldon didn't reply immediately, "I know you're going to say we can't decide anything without talking to Katie first. You're going to say that she's old enough to have a say in her education and I agree with you that she is, but I would like to state for the record that I don't think she should skip to high school."
"What did Mr. Murray want to talk to you about?" Katie asked her parents before they were all the way through the front door that afternoon. "I tried asking him and he said he couldn't tell me."
Amy motioned for the girl to go into the kitchen, away from where Leo could overhear their conversation. "Mr. Murray wanted to talk to us about your class for next year."
"I don't like the idea," Sheldon interjected. "But I promised your mom we would talk to you about it before we make a decision. I don't want you to have the same high school experience I did."
"What are you talking about?" The girl looked at her parents.
"Mr. Murray had Ms. Tate at our meeting. They talked to the eighth-grade teacher about what you'd be learning in eighth grade next year and think you'll do better if you skip to high school next year. Dad is very much against the idea, while I want to talk to you about it before we tell them yes or no."
Katie quietly asked, "So I would be in high school next year?"
Amy gave her daughter a small smile. "Only if you want to. Dad and I have always wanted to do what was best for you and your brothers, especially when it came to your education. While dad and I might have differing opinions about what we think is best in this situation, what we really want is for you to be happy."
"We don't want you to go to high school and not enjoy it," Sheldon chimed in. "We also don't want you to not take this opportunity and be bored, not enjoying school."
"Is it okay if I think about it a little before I decide?"
Sheldon nodded, "Sure. Mr. Murray and Ms. Tate would like us to get back to them with a decision by the end of the week, but you can take some time to decide."
"Mom, Dad," Katie knocked on her parents' bedroom door late that evening. Opening it when Amy indicated she could come in, she continued, "I decided what I want to do for school next year."
Sheldon set his iPad on the nightstand and gave his daughter his full attention, "What did you decide? Know that this is completely your decision and we'll support you no matter what you choose."
"Is it okay if I want to stay in middle school next year? I don't think I'm ready to go to high school yet. I know that by staying in eighth grade for next year, I might be bored, but knowing I'll be challenged more in high school will give me something to look forward to when I do start high school."
Amy motioned for Katie to sit on the bed with herself and Sheldon. "You're sure this is the decision you want? We don't want you to regret it."
Nodding her head, the twelve-year-old smiled at her parents. "I'm sure. I also want to be there for Leo's first year of middle school next year. Michael was in eighth grade when Rory and I started middle school. We kind of liked having someone who could show us where everything was. I want to do that for Leo. I know Rory would still be there, but I want to be there for him, too."
"Okay. We'll let Mr. Murray and Ms. Tate know," Sheldon replied to his daughter's decision.
Katie moved to get off the bed before being pulled back into her mother's arms. As Katie started fighting to escape, Amy told her, "You're an amazing big sister, you know that, right?"
"You tell me that all the time. Good night, mom. Good night, dad," she said, breaking free from Amy's embrace.
