School blues #01: When things go wrong as they sometimes will ...

Today, 28th of January, is Gab's (10 y.o. son) first day at a new school. He is in Year 5. He was accepted into an Opportunity Class program for 'gifted' kids.

It is also his first time to ride a bus to and from school. In previous years, Gab was ferried to and from school.

Mum: "I will take you to the bus stop and board you into the right bus. Then I will drive to your school and meet you there. In the afternoon, the same thing will happen. I will be at school to take you to your bus, and I will meet you again at the bus stop near our home. Easy. Remember, that you've done your dry-run with Dad in the previous weeks. So everything will be alright." (This was me trying to calm myself aloud ...) "Besides there will be other kids in the bus with you, so just follow them ..."

Gab: "But mum, what if you aren't there when I reach school?"

Mum: "I will be there, Gab. If not, wait for me inside the gate ..."

We waited 10 minutes for the bus to arrive. And in those 10 minutes, our anxiety built up. Gab even commented - "I should have failed that OC test, Mum, had I known that I had to take a bus to school". Shock, horror! "Don't ever say that again, Gabriel. You'll be fine!"

As soon as Gab safely boarded his bus, I scampered away to try to out-drive the bus to school. What I didn't know was, the bus took a shorter route than I did. But, of course! My sense of direction is horrendous, after all.

First myth - "I will be there before you". I wasn't! When I arrived at school, all parking spots were taken. I had to park way way away from the school. Every other parent was, I think, present on their kid's first day at school!

Second myth - 'There will be other school children in the bus.' Wrong ... there were only two of them!

OC Journey #2 - Turning point

One fine Sunday morning in 2008, i read a newspaper article about the rising cost of education in Sydney. Gab was in Year 3 at that time attending a local Catholic School.

Thinking aloud, I said. "Private schools are so expensive. We will need to spend anywhere from AU$10,000 to $30,000 per year! Even the government high school kids need to spend up to $5,000 for extra curricular activities."

Gab was sitting beside me and read the article with me.

Suddenly, he closed the newspaper that we were reading and muttered. "Don't stress, Mum. I will get into a Selective High School so Mama will not have to worry about money."

Truly, these were Gab's words!

"Alright, son. Here's the plan, in order to get a Selective placement, you need to move to a public school for Years 5 and 6, preferably get into an OC Class".

"Yes, Mum."

Bingo! The planets just aligned. How it happened, I had no idea.

In a nutshell, Selective High Schools are run by the government to provide an educationally enriched environment for highly achieving, academically gifted students.

Since then, Gab willingly attended tutoring lessons at Swot Shop for 6 months prior to taking the OC Test. Swot Shop primarily teaches children methods to employ in answering questions in a limited time.

When he was in Year 4, he told his classmates about his eventual transfer to another school and the reasons why. We were both convinced that he will pass the test. And he did, indeed!

What can I say? Constant affirmation and action truly works!

OC Journey #1 - How it all began

When the kids were little back in 2002, I decided the education path they were to take. I've always known that I preferred public education over private schooling (aside: I attended a public high school). First, I did not want to pay exorbitant school fees. I wanted our already high taxes to work for us. Second, public high schools lead in school performance anyway. For me, it was a no-brainer.

However, one does not just walk in to these high performance schools. One has to take very competitive examinations to get in. In New South Wales, the top government schools are called Selective High Schools. The name, I am guessing, probably means 'selected students' (aside: Aussies can be very literal in their choice of words).

First question to self: 'How do I prepare my children for Selective High School? I am not deluded as to assume that they are very smart children when they grow up.'

Second question to self: 'How do I make my children take the exam willingly with minimum fuss?'

The answer to the first question is easy. There are many avenues available: enrol the kids in a good public primary school, send them to coaching classes, get them a place in an Opportunity Class, or (heaven forbid!) all of the above!

Simply put, an Opportunity Class is a precursor to Selective High School. Government schools have OC Classes in Years 5 and 6. Again, children take tests to get in.

I resolved to take the OC path. Now, how in the world can I make this happen? How can I make the kids want to prepare for the test, let alone sit for it?

Portishead-fan posting #10: 'Roads' affects me so

It must be the way Beth Gibbons sings oh-so poignantly ... so painfully ... goosebumps run up and down me ...

Portishead sings "Roads" live at Roseland, NY

Kidchat #8: Life is a beach ... not!

I was walking with my 10 & 11 year old boys under a 32 degree Celsius heat. We were on our way to Sunday church in very oppressive weather.

I muttered, "We should have gone to the beach".

My 10-year-old son quipped, "Mum, how could you! We are going to church. Church is more important than the beach!"

Sigh. I taught my son only too well ...