B's are okay but 1's are not acceptable

Okay, here is a little history for you. I was a fairly good student. I wasn't exceptional but I got good grades with the occasional bump in the road that I like to call "Math". And usually my parents didn't give me too much grief about my grades except for those speed bumps that once again we'll refer to as "Math". However, I do remember my freshman year of college calling my parents with my first report card, which was all A's and B's, and my mother saying "Well, B's aren't......bad." I seriously think that was the only time she gave me any grief about what most parents would consider pretty good grades. Obviously it stuck with me though because here we are 14 years later and I still remember it vividly.

I try not to expect too much out of Hannah. She's only 7 years old and she loves school. She's incredibly smart and is pretty advanced for her age but I have to admit, it's hard sometimes. Her school grades on a 1 thru 4 scale. A 4 means she's advanced (and those are rarely given out according to the school although she has received a few). A 3 means she is ahead of the curve. A 2 is "achieving the bare minimum for a kid in her grade" and a 1 is "your kid is a complete idiot and should be bumped down a grade." Okay, so it's not quite that bad. But it does mean "below average".

Hannah has always received 3's and 4's with a very rare 2. Until last night. HANNAH GOT A FREAKING 1!!!!! Of course it was in math so I really don't have a leg to stand on but this just goes back to what I was saying the other day about how she's losing interest in her school work. Last night she brought home all of her work books that she had at school because after tomorrow she is done for the year. Lincoln and I were looking through some of her Reader Response books and she doesn't even answer the questions. She'll start them and then trail off. Or she'll give a half of a response and then move on. I don't know what it is. It's like she is so excited she just moves onto the next thing. Or bored and doesn't care to finish.

Last night I emailed her teacher about this matter. I don't want to make too big of a deal about it since school is done for the year but if she gets her report card tomorrow and she has dropped her grades in any category I'm sure my head will explode. Her teacher said that "Hannah is happy and eager to please at school. She does work quickly and rarely checks her own work before turning it in. She also skips reading the directions at times which thus causes her to make careless errors. Over the past few weeks she has also been reading a lot in class (which is nice to see), but is sometimes having trouble putting the book away to move onto the next subject."

Part of me is frustrated with Hannah based on that comment because it's obvious that she is just being careless. The other part makes me laugh though because I too can never put a good book down. And besides, the 1 was only in Math.....one of those damn pesky speed bumps.

Okay, I'll lighten up now....it's summer after all. But I reserve the right to change my mind when she brings her report card home tomorrow. I will keep you posted but if there are any 1's on that report card tomorrow I'm sure even those of you across the country in Seattle will hear my head exploding.