Tiger Catch Up

Parent Teacher Interviews - the groan that escapes from parents across the country at this time of year could probably be heard from space.

At the new school they run in a 3 way format, with the child attending and having an input into the discussion. This was a first for me (maybe we were living in the Dark Ages before and I didn't realise?) and I found it much more rewarding than the old "Here's how your kid is doing, bye now."

The one thing I hate about PT interviews, is the ten minute time slot. It gives no room to move, and no chance to have more than a basic discussion. If you have issues you want to raise, you have to make an appointment again. Which at this late stage of the term can be frustratingly difficult.

I also get bombarded with notes and reminders that I MUST be on time... only to arrive and discover the people before me do not go in until four minutes into my interview time. I have an almost three year old loose outside your classroom, my iPhone can only keep her entertained so long!

Despite this we had a great interview, and had so many achievements to discuss.

Tiger struggles with being very clever, but at the same time very anxious and unsettled. We've seen this come out in bad behaviour, daydreaming, "forgetting" everything, refusing to do her work, and more. 

It took her a couple of weeks to settle into the fact that we were here to stay and no amount of acting up was going to make me pack the house up and move her back to Hicksville. She spent weeks insisting that this was the only option or she was going to make my life a living hell. She tried for a while.

After her birthday, things changed a lot. Her teacher and I can chart her effort and behaviour in the before and after of that weekend. Before -  poor work effort, constant emails back and forth between us, new wrinkles appearing on my face! Now, she's putting in a consistent effort, has lost the acting up, and is absolutely blooming in her new school.


We still need to work on her organisation, but it's getting better and she's trying hard.


Her scores were AH-MA-ZING! Top of her Year 5/6 class (she's in 5) in literacy, reading, comprehension.... and a spelling age of 16.4!! In the top bracket of maths, even though she never used to make any effort in this subject. And so very proud to have one of her compositions read out to the class as an example. 


I'm bursting with pride at the moment. Despite struggles at the start she is blossoming in the aftermath of our move. She's happy and shining and making new friends. She's positive about each day. 


This is what we wanted to achieve. We would rather have scratched our own eyes out than send her to the high school I attended, so she could become the fourth generation subject to mindless community wide bullying, with no rhyme or reason.


Tiger is singing as she brushes her hair right now, practicing as hard as she can for Choir tryouts today, hoping to be picked to sing in Adelaide. 


The sunlight is back in her face and I am so thankful it has returned. 


Onwards into the future.....

Linking with Kate Says Stuff for Thankful Thursday