2007 Achievement

Another year has gone, it's time to update what the kids have done this year.

As you remembered, last year Fay's main goal for the year 2007 was to be a school kid. She has achieved that quite easily. On her first day of school, while we walked to school together, she exclaimed, "I feel like a school kid!" Well, she has her full uniform on with her school bag on her back, it's hard not to feel like one! How much does Fay love school? After a few weeks in school, she asked me why there is no school on weekend. I said we all need a rest after 5 days of hard work. "But, mummy, I am not tired, we just played whole day at school!", said my little girl. I responded that her teacher needs a rest. She replied, "No, she doesn't. She doesn't work, she just has fun with us whole day!" (I am changing my job to be a prep teacher.)

Despite all the 'fun' Fay has at school, she has learnt to recognise all the 100 most common words in English by term 2. At the beginning of school, she can only recognised 2! Matthew's "Day of reckoning": Fay could read so well that Matt couldn't trick her anymore. You should have seen Matt's face when Fay told Matt that she knew he was tricking her and she read all the words out correctly. Matt was so surprised, "Mum, Fay can read?" Yes, she sure can read and at a high level too. She is reading and writing at Grade 1 level.

Fay also started learning piano at the beginning of the year. She told me it is not possible to play with two hands. Then one day she started playing with both hands. Her very first piece was "Cuckoo". In her usual excited and happy voice, "Mum, I can do it! I play with my two hands!" I told her I have never doubted it. She has her first performance in July, "Mary has a little lamb" and "Honey Bee".

Another great skill Fay has learnt is swimming, she can do backstroke and freestyle. However, if you asked Fay what her biggest achievement is for the year, it would be 'monkey bar tricks'. I lost count of how many monkey bar tricks she could do. It was compulsory for me to watch her perform her trick when she has learnt a new one.

Matt played competitive tennis for the first time this year, he is the youngest player from the club, most likely the youngest in the competition. Most of the time he plays against older kids, it is a bit like watching David vs Goliath, except he doesn't win!

We had a wonderful soccer season as well, he has improved his soccer skills and makes new friends, and become best friend with one. During one of the training session, Matt actually resolved a conflict. When asked why he got involved, his response was, "This is what we learnt at school, "Be part of the solution, not the problem!" Well said and well done, Matt. He also enjoyed learning to playAustralian football in winter.

Matt managed to qualify for 3 events in the district athletics: triple jump, long jump and shot put. Quite an achievement for a little man. He competed in district for one event only: triple jump. He didn't win but have so much fun on the day.

On a different 'note', Matt has nearly finished learning all the pieces in Volume 2 of Suzuki piano book. He will be taking his first exam next year.

Jonathan has won 2 awards this year, "Excellence in Music Award" and "Buchanan Award". (Buchanan Award is given to student who has displayed effort and personal qualities which have made a positive contribution to the school community.) Asked Jonathan how he won the awards, his reply is 'random selection'.

Jonathan has started working from September, working 2 jobs. He has worked up to 20 hours a week while studying full time. He now realised that it was great having all the money but he hardly has time to enjoy it. Most of his friends are working too, so it's getting difficult to try to find time to get together.