Star Class

That is what they call the Honors section at my children's school. They have a Star Class per level starting at Grade 5. Membership to Star Class is by invitation only. The school administration and teachers look at the students' grades and overall performance, including all academic and non-academic achievements from Kindergarten to Grade 4. Then, they choose the top 40 students for the Star Class. The school emphasizes that being in the Star Class is a privelege and therefore the students really have to perform well academically or they will be 'demoted' to a regular class the following school year.

Last year, my girl received an invitation to join the Star Class. She is in Grade 5 this year. I had second thoughts then, on letting her join the Star Class. I was thinking of the academic pressure. I do not want her to spend her whole free time buried in assignments and books. I want her to have other recreational activities like swimming, church activities, piano lessons and Chancel Repertory.

She wanted to join the Star Class because she was sure most of her friends will be there. So, Star Class, it is.

I'm glad of the decision. The girl has been most responsible since the start of the school year. I do not have to remind her to do her assignments or to review her lessons. She always wakes up on time for school and was never late for class. Being in the Star Class instills responsibility in itself. The girl has also learned to love her classes. She claims the teachers of the Star Class are way 'cooler' than the teachers of the regular class. The teachers have different ways of presenting their daily lessons which are more interesting to the students. That's a big plus factor in learning.

Last week, I witnessed an oral group declamation contest in Chinese. Each class has to recite a chapter of the Psalms with corresponding actions. I immdiately saw the difference in the performance of the Star Class. Even while lining up, the students were already more quiet and disciplined than the regular classes. Their performance was well-coordinated, their pronunciation clearer, their diction was more precise. They were truly the run-away winners.

This week, my daughter joined the "General Information" Contest. Now, my daughter is no stranger to competitions. She joins various competitions each year; but for her, the pressure to win is bigger this year because she would be representing the Star Class. For her, it would be embarrasing if another student from a regular class wins. Aside from that, all the other contests like Math or Science were all won by her classmates from the Star Class. The night before the contest, (which parents were not allowed to witness) I told her to pray about it and leave everything in God's hands. If she wins, she should thank God and give God all the glory for giving her enough knowledge. And if she loses, maybe God is teaching her a lesson... in humility perhaps? Well, now, we are thanking God and praising God because she was able to answer just one question that the other contestants were not able to answer. She won only by one point!!

Would I recommend Star Class to other students and parents? Definitely Yes! Not just for the academic advantage but for the responsibility and the attitude that being in the Star Class develops; for the pressure to excel, to have the opportunity to be the best that they can be.

My daughter said: There's not much difference between the Star Class and the regular class. The only difference is that during recitations, in the regular class, only a few raise their hands; in the Star Class, everybody raise their hands, and the teacher does not know whom to call...

Kids' All-Time Favorite

The children are crazy about "Lord of the Rings" right now. They both watched the movies. The girl had read all the three books, plus "The Hobbit" and is now looking forward to the "Silmarillion." It seems they know more about Middle Earth than the Real Earth!!!

Thanks to A-hia Elliott and his blog for showing us how to use the slideshow format. It is really cool to learn from each other!

Cottontail

This is Cottontail, our first pet. He's a gift from the children's A-Kim (wife of my brother). He was newly weaned from his mother when we got him. The children named him Cottontail because he has a cute stub of white fur as a tail. They also agreed to give him a nickname in honor of the cartoon character - Bugs. These two names, however were never used. Because we just call him "Rabbit." Yup. With a capital R.

We never had a cage for Rabbit. He was free to roam around the house. He mainly stays in the second floor though, where the kitchen is. We have a pile of newspapers on the floor made at a corner for him. He instinctively knew he was supposed to sleep there, eat there, (that's where we place his food), and even does his thing there. He was very neat and clean. Never did he mess up any furniture.

Everyday when we come home, Rabbit would come running when we open the door. Then, he would try to climb our shoes and pants. Sometimes if the fabric we were wearing is thin, oh no! His long nails would scrape our skin. Ouch! We would joke that we do not have a rabbit, we have a dog!

He mainly eats cabbages. But he likes to eat so much... he even rummages the trash can for banana peels, garlic skins, and lots of stuff which we never thought a real rabbit eats! And people think they only eat carrots!

We lent Rabbit to a family friend when we had to go abroad. Nobody would be left to take care of him. When we came back, we heard that their little girl already loved Rabbit so much, we were ashamed to get Rabbit back. We were sure anyway that he will be taken cared of by the little girl. Goodbye Cottontail. We miss you.