“When Do I Suspect Something’s Wrong at School?”

MY third-grade son is a great all-around boy who does very well academically and is great at sports. He’s always been happy in school and receives glowing reports from the staff, especially regarding the life and joy he brings to the classroom. This past year he had a really fantastic rebbi, and we felt very blessed.

However, at home it has been a very different story. As soon as he walked in the door he became a monster. I tried to make sure he had something to eat as soon as he got home and that definitely helped, but we still often had a hard evening.

Oddly enough, since he started day camp this summer, he has been coming home as an absolute pleasure. He’s so nice to his siblings and such an enjoyment to have around — talking and laughing with all of us. We’re a happy family again, baruch Hashem.

My question is, do I need to suspect something was going on in school that was making him unhappy even though nothing really indicated that? Or is it just the relaxed atmosphere of a day filled with mainly sports and fun? Camp also shaves off 45 minutes both sides of the day. Should I look more into what’s going on at school?