Proud father alert: A report on G.'s Honors Day
As Jack Benny once famously said upon winning an Oscar, "I'm trying to look humble." I fully admit, though, that I might not succeed. Those of you not wanting to bear witness to the trainwreck of glee that this post is will not want to
You just can't help yourselves, can you?
I should have seen this coming; modest soul that I am, though, I turned a blind eye to the possibility.
At the festival for 5th graders I reported on here, G.'s teacher said, among other things, "She's going to win so many awards at Honors Day." Well, sure, I thought, G.'s smart, but there are other smart kids in her class, too. They'll get their share. Besides, elementary teachers learn, even before their methods classes, never to say to the parents of a child, even when it's patently obvious, "Let's face it: Johnny's a loser."
Comes Honor's Day, which was yesterday. It's G.'s teacher's turn to pass out academic achievement awards for her class. She calls out the first one, for science, and G. has won it. G. turns to go back to her seat, but her teacher (according to G.) whispers to her, "Why don't you just stay up here, darling?"
In her class, G. had the highest average for every single subject area (Science, Reading, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies). She won the class's Citizenship Award. She was one of 3 students in the entire 5th grade to have had a straight-A average from kindergarten through graduation. She received a Certificate of Achievement signed by George W. Bush (no jokes, please--I've already thought of them all anyway, I'm pretty sure). She says she will frame it, and I would be dismayed if she didn't.
She didn't have perfect attendance; she didn't win the 5th grade's Spirit award but, ever gracious, she told me that the girl who did "deserved to win."
Middle school looms, but she is excited: having stridden like an academic colossus through elementary school, G. is ready to conquer new worlds. Puberty will be a bumpy ride, I know, but as I talked with her last night, she seemed especially happy and confident and strong, much more so than her father had when he was her age.
I do not think it possible that I could be more proud of her.
Okay--back later with more talk about laundry rooms.
6 comments:
Man, I never won any awards at school... *sniff*
Ain't nuthin' but a G. thang, I suppose.
it's okay fearful, we still like you anyways.
Congrats John on such fine children!
Was noticing we have three more weeks of school left to go and thought it odd school is over already for your girls. I hope you all have a great summer.
I never won nuffink at school neither.
I hope someday to spawn a child prodigy like G so I finally get a chance to bask in that reflected glory.
I assure all of you that my particular glory is reflected as well. Neither her mother nor I, fairly bright though we are, received any sort of academic recognition while we were in school; nor have we played the role of whatever the academic equivalent of "stage parents" is where either G. or C. are concerned. The girls just seem to enjoy being smart and doing good work--and, even more important in the bargain, being decent, well-liked kids. My particular happiness, in other words, is more accurately extraordinary gratitude that their mother and I have children such as these.
I assure all of you that my particular glory is reflected as well. Neither her mother nor I, fairly bright though we are, received any sort of academic recognition while we were in school; nor have we played the role of whatever the academic equivalent of "stage parents" is where either G. or C. are concerned. The girls just seem to enjoy being smart and doing good work--and, even more important in the bargain, being decent, well-liked kids. My particular happiness, in other words, is more accurately extraordinary gratitude that their mother and I have children such as these.
See what I mean about that "reflected" stuff?
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