holiday homework and such

It's finally back to school this week for the kiddo. She continues to progress well, I suppose. In the one parent-teacher conference about a month ago her teacher told us that all is fine and, unless we hear otherwise, that's the status. She spared further details and didn't inflate our egos with news of brilliance or giftedness. I think of parents I've dealt with in the past, as well as some friends, who may not cope so well with this type of minimalist relationship. It works for me, mostly because the kiddo loves her school.

When I see the teacher having mini-conferences in the corridor with other mothers at the end of the school day, I wonder about the status of the their children. She never chats with me like that, but I suppose I should consider myself lucky: no news is good news.  The week's work continues to arrive home each Friday with instructions to the children to share with parents, and Young One's work continues to receive high marks. We've learned the value of "Ottimo!" and "10," as these are the highest one in Prima B can achieve.

Ce, Ci, Chi, & Che still stump me from time to time.

The homework load in this first grade class has been very light, with it reserved solely for the weekends. The holiday break was the exception.  I appreciate that the teacher sent a calendar of activities thus keeping us on track. And while as an educator I have mixed feelings about homework for the holidays, I am thankful for these simple assignments. Really, what's wrong with practicing your handwriting or finishing the break with a few sentences about your favorite day? 

The final note from the teacher is to return to school with joy. When I dropped off her early this morning (she's always among the first to arrive), she barely gave me a kiss and then sent me on my way -- a big change from last year when I resorted to bribery.

It's that time of year in Italy when parents register children for the next school year. When I think of how stressful of a time that ordeal was for me, well . . . I'm happy to be coasting this year.