Looking beyond grades

Today, Kai got his PSLE results. Sito and I went to the concert hall for some videos of the past six years and results analysis while he went to a designated classroom to get his results to share with us.

English: AL 5

Chinese: AL 3

Maths: AL 3

Science: AL 4

Total: 15

I'll be lying if I say we're not disappointed. He has fallen short for maths and science. We're pleasantly surprised at his Chinese though - a 3 and better than English?! He had regular tuition for Chinese, and clash courses for English and Science.

Kai said he has put in his best effort. While he was expecting 12-14, he is happy with 15 coz "it's just 3 points lower". And it's better than prelims.

But he did not beat Sito or me - we would love nothing better than to be beaten by our own kids! 

Sito also did some research and figured 15 put him at about the top 30th percentile, which means he would barely make it to the big three local universities if he continued on this trajectory. 

So we have to look beyond grades - to secondary school tuition!!!

I'm being practical here. He needs help so we should give him help. I'm being honest too - we recognise his English really needs help. Like, really.

I recall one bewildering moment in my youth when I, with my bulging waist straining my top and pants, heard this girl say to my face that she was fat, with her slim silhouette and not a hair out of place.

Similarly, some parents think their kids' results are dismal. AL 2 instead of AL 1? Please...

Of course there are poorer grades but seriously, I wouldn't harp on it if my kids are already at AL2 level. 

Anyway, I always believe in looking forward. No need to brood on the past. Learn from the past, but look forward. 

We have always known that his English has much room for improvement. He doesn't read much since young. In the past year, we made him read proper novels suitable for his age. He reads at the rate of one book every three to six weeks. As comparison, I finished the seven books in the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer in 13 days in April; maybe double that time if I were a student.

Language takes time to master. Tuition has the power to give short-term gains, but for long-term gains, he really needs to read more. 

We made it clear to him that his best now put him at an average level. As we believe that he has the potential to do better, we will help him to prepare for the next milestone - yes, by sending him for tuition :p

This afternoon, we submitted secondary school choices already. Only filled in four of the six options as there are no other nearby schools for his grades. 

He won't have chess as CCA as (1) few schools offer this apparently, and (2) he couldn't get in those schools. So we've got him to start looking at other CCAs, and we'll probably look at how to continue his interest in chess outside the school.

We have already celebrated his efforts with Captain Kim BBQ right after PSLE; we try to focus on the efforts rather than the results. He really did put in effort, a tad last minute and perhaps not enough, but he did his best already. When he was working hard, his brothers were also inspired to do work, however unwillingly.

He had a graduation party in school on the last Tuesday of the term - parents not invited. Don't think there's a separate graduation ceremony. We're also not celebrating graduation in particular but his primary school graduating / secondary school entry gift will be a new phone with a SIM card - to be gifted later in December.

For now, here's one for the memories

I"m glad he chose to wear his shirt instead of the yellow tee for this last time of wearing his primary school uniform. So handsome!