All is not quiet on home turf. CH continues to hate doing HW. After school activities kept him busy on most days until at least 5:30pm. He winds down with reading Doraemen and Old Master Q comics. He also enjoys eating slowing, for about an hour. By the time he starts working, it is normally 8pm. As he works with snail’s pace, he can’t finish until 10 pm even with some assistance and constant companionship. I have gotten used to this kind of work, but occasional feel very tired and sick of going through the mill. 3K tries to help from time to time when he finishes eating by 9:30pm.
Still, God has sent “angels” to help. Just saw one of them at school: Mr. C, education psychologist. He was able to observe CH in class, did post-test error analyses with him to see what tripped him, and spoken with him directly about school, teachers and students. The school has been going out of its way to help us, with study skills class, language therapy session and moderating the tests and dictations. I remind myself to be thankful and treasure what I have in hand.
But 3K’s been thinking about “future” and “what ifs”. And he thinks moving CH out of the local system into the international stream should be the ultimate goal. Yes, but how? We have already tried 3 earlier this year but got rejected because of insufficient language fluency. Given his dyslexia, he can’t fluently express himself even in his mother tongue. And it takes so long for him to warm up to new environments and people. It has taken at least half a year before he remembers names of his current classmates. Starting all over in a new class, new school with new rules could be too challenging? In a small class in a real international school — with half of them girls, and quite a number of Caucasian boys – how many potential friends can he make (cultural proximity and language matters)?
Mr. C’s quick feedback is that a local school with less academic demands may suit CH currently. That is not the reality 3K would like to see.
So, we have reached Catch-22. The longer you stay, the less chance of getting out. And we can never get out of this slave-driving system unless you take a first step. But who wants to spend extra time/efforts on a special need child? Sadly, education is more often then not just a façade, an enterprise, and a system with its own purposes to glorify. You are lucky to be speaking to someone who doesn’t know you before and is genuinely trying to looking after your interest and not your money.
With the current financial turmoil, chances are better. That means I have to start this grueling form-filling, information-seeking, “test-prepping” process all over again. Tell me about it, I had gone through it with K last year: a total of 6. She was good enough to get 2 offers, 2 on reserve and 2 refusals. It could quite devastating to be rejected by all, and I can imagine this scenario for CH.
It will be a busy day today. K has two appointments: first to finish off her assessment at Mrs S and dental.
Just hope that there will not be too much homework for CH so that I can attend cub scout leaders’ meeting as I have promised.
College app process and pressure to keep up the grades are continuing for L. Poor dear, she looks almost like a panda. But Ms P is such an angel to her, keeping watch, and calling us after a long day of meeting just to re-assure us.
I am grateful for myself, my children, husband, family and my life as they are. Grateful for Jesus who saved me!
It’s such a gorgeous day! Cheers!
