Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The First Promotion

So Bug comes home from school today, and casually throws out at me:

Um, yeah, so there's a promotion ceremony thing at school tonight at 6:30 and I kinda have to be there, ok?

I'll spare you the details of the mini-panic I went through. Let it be enough for me to point out that it was 3:27 pm. I had less than three hours to prepare myself for a night that really isn't that huge (I mean, c'mon...it's only 5th grade, people), but in reality is very huge to my son. (And no, I have no idea why on Earth this boy did not make me aware of this event prior to this afternoon. I also have no idea why none of the other moms I've spoken to this week from the school mentioned it. Apparently, my ploy to convince the world and my children that I do, indeed, know everything is working just a tad bit too well, hmm?) Throw in Jock's need to be at the high school half an hour before we needed to be at the elementary school, and his subsequent need to be picked up from the high school just as we would be finishing up at the elementary school (I will not anger the Football Gods by cursing a pre-season football practice, however) and you can see why I got a tad stressed. Ok, fine. I freaked the heck out.

Which was all for naught, as the entire thing turned out to be rather anticlimactic. It was a stereotypical award ceremony. The overachievers got recognized with certificate after certificate, while the kids like Bug didn't. Kids who, like Bug, are truly just as intelligent as any of those overachievers; but are simply not able to make a structured classroom work for them. Kids like Bug who can do geometric circles around the kids being recognized for math awards that they will never get because they are unable to remain calm and focused long enough for a 60 minute test. Or the kids like Bug who will never be recognized for citizenship awards, because just remaining positive within themselves, let alone be a positive influence on others, is a daily struggle. Kids like Bug who will never find themselves even nominated for one of these awards, because the nominations have to come from the teacher; and the teacher has discovered that he simply was ill-equipped to work well with this child.

This is not to say that Bug didn't come home with any awards. He did get recognized for being on the Honor Roll, and that's huge since he carries a B average. He works hard for that, and battles all kind of inner messes to make that at all. He got an award from the gym teacher for always giving more than his all in gym class. And he did get the 5th Grade Certificate of Completion, officially making him a 6th grader as of eight o'clock this evening.

And he is very proud of himself. Which in the end, matters so much more than any silly piece of paper or ceremony.

4 comments:

TisforTonya said...

being proud of himself is ALL that matters...

as much as I hated watching one kid walk away with all the honors - I am SO tired of the awards ceremonies where every child gets an award... because neither the kids nor the parents are stupid enough to fall for the "best jumprope untangler" award... (okay, so maybe they weren't THAT lame... but it was getting silly)

Cecily R said...

You know, I've never been to a promotion ceremony for elementary school. Or junior high/middle school for that matter. Not when I was a kid OR with my own kids. Guess we don't do them 'round these parts.

I'm glad Bug was recognized for the honor roll (that's BIG!) and gym...that's great!

And I'm glad that you are so great at recognizing that HE is great...that's most important anyway.

Flea said...

Well congrats! Thaniel had his award ceremony at school yesterday as well. They chose to give the kids the certificates in envelopes and only recognize the ones where were the best citizens. Thaniel was proud as anything to make the Principal's Honor Roll list, like Bug, for B's. We were happy about it as well. It's enough. :)

Crazymamaof6 said...

being happy with himself is enough.
self satisfaction is WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN some cheezy award.

that does suck.
i know my own kids feel they get shafted sometimes for not quite being the norm.
while the excell in other things that may not get recognized.

you being there, and being proud is enough. him being proud and moving on to middle school is FABULOUS!
congrats.