School Antics

Since school started, I have neglected writing about the children.  They are still here.  So, I should write a bit about them, and their days at school.  Because, I know that is really why you are here; as interesting as stag beetles in compost is, the children really do rise a little above that topic.

Hannah: Hannah is now four and in kindergarten.  She has homework, twice a week.   Yesterday's homework was a sheet with dotted lines on it that she had to trace with her crayon.  She was all set up at the table, doing her first line, so I left her to it while I did some online sales orders.  When I came back, her homework was completed, almost perfect.  The first line was a bit wobbly, but the rest were spot-on.
"Hannah, you drew that so well.  What a nice job," I said.
"Oh, I didn't do that.  Kyle did." Said Hannah.
"But that's your homework!  Why did Kyle do it?"
"It was too hard for me, so I made Kyle do it.  He could draw on the lines."
As the teacher said today when I relayed this episode to her, we have no fear of Hannah handling herself in the world.

The teacher also had a chance to tell a story about roleplay time to me.  The class read Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.  Then, three girls got to be Snow White and act out eating the apple and dying.  Hannah refused to eat it, leaning over and whispering to a classmate, "I am not eating that!  I KNOW it's poison!"

Now, the final Hannah story for today.  The class takes a nap at noon.  Hannah did not like lying down at all.  After much discussion with her, I discovered she did not like lying down without wearing "sleeping gear".  So, now everyday Hannah changes into a nightdress for her daily nap, and then changes back into her daywear in the afternoon.  Naptime goes much more smoothly since this ritual was added to her daily school routine.

Kyle has overcome his hatred of Chinese and no longer needs to move to New Zealand so he doesn't have to learn Chinese.  Over summer, I decided not to put him into a pronunciation class, but to just enjoy some daytrips instead.  I was a little nervous that I had done the wrong thing.  Kyle has proved me right in my choice, getting 100% in his first two tests and being top of the class in pronunciation and other academics.  Most importantly, Kyle loves going to school and often tells me how much he loves his school.  Tonight, he read part of a Chinese storybook to Hannah.  And, he now corrects my pronunciation constantly.  His dad is taking him to buy a new junior Chinese dictionary very soon, as he has taken an interest in my old one.  The old one is just too outdated to be useful for his study.  Chinese changes constantly, and kids need to stay uptodate to get the high test scores.

Tomorrow, we are attending a cultural performance in Keelung, with the children's school.  I'm charging my camera battery in anticipation.