Parents Evening
Even when your child is barely five, in his very first year of schooling, parents evening is still a big thing.
You want to make sure your child is settling in well at school, that he or she is making friends, is learning effectively, is not being a disruptive influence and generally is getting what he or she ought to be getting out of school.
We’ve just experienced our second ever parents evening. For the first, I went to speak with BTP’s teacher, and it was quite an enjoyable experience. His teacher seemed to like him, and made a specific point that he was one of the more knowledgable children in the class in terms of general knowledge — apparently if she was asking a question, and no-one volnteered an answer, he was one of the ones she would usually ask, on the basis that he would probably know.
His weakest point then was his writing, his forming of letters and so on. She said that it wasn’t anything to worry about — after all he’s only five — and that he seemed to be making friends and getting on with the class quite nicely.
So what has changed since last term?
Seemingly, not a lot. His teacher made the point again about his general knowledge, asking a question about Maundy Thursday (as it’s the whole build up to Easter thing, and it’s a C of E school), and whether anyone knew what Maundy Thursday was about.
One of the other boys in his class put his hand up to answer, but the teacher said that she wanted someone else to have a go first, because as his dad was better known to the school as Father John, she would probably expect him to know. So apparently my lad’s hand goes up straightaway to explain that Maundy Thursday is when Jesus was betrayed by Judas.
My wife seemed impressed that our boy knew and understood what the term ‘betrayed’ meant. Me, I was impressed that he knew what Maundy Thursday was about. I didn’t know that’s what Maundy Thursday was supposed to be about until … well, until my wife told me that story. I also had thought that it was the day after Ash Wednesday, rather than the day before Good Friday, meaning that I was about a month and a half out.
But then again, I wasn’t brought up in a particular Christian tradition, so I hope I can be forgiven not knowing this. I’m a lapsed atheist you see. I was brought up as an atheist, only I don’t have that firm, fiery disbelief any more. You know the sort of thing: sometimes I don’t think there isn’t a God…
Aside from religious knowledge however, he’s also apparently very knowledgeable about nature, and current affairs, and the world around him and stuff, which according to his teacher means that we’re taking the time to show him stuff, explain things to him and teach him.
Well, I guess we probably are, but it’s never felt like we’re doing that specifically. We were just having a nice afternoon out along Hadrian’s Wall, or visiting the Laing Art Gallery, or talking about volcanos and looking at an atlas or whatever…
He’s still apparently working very well; he’s very polite; he’s obviously made friends and is having fun at school; and he’s making very good progress with his reading although his handwriting allegedly isn’t the best. Although I’m not too worried about that last one — my handwriting was a barely decipherable scrawl when I was about 8, and even now if I’m in a hurry I can scribble down stuff that is almost unreadable later.
He’s also very settled at school. When he first started, we’d take him in and he’d like to stand next to us in the school yard until the bell rang and it was time to line up to go into school. Now, you get to the school yard with him, he hands you his schoolbag and runs off to play until the bell rings, at which point he’ll approach you again to get his bag back.
On one hand, it’s odd as a parent to be suddenly so unneccessary, such a spare part, but it’s good that he’s settling in, making friends and becoming more independent. Besides which, by the time he’s a teenager we will no doubt be a constant embarrassment to him simply by being parents and not understanding what it’s like.
Still, for the time being at least, I can enjoy being a proud Dad…
Shannon says:
March 29th, 2009 at 5:44 am
I have never heard of Maundy Thursday before. I’m feeling very uncultured… surely somewhere along the way I should’ve heard about this….
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