the report that made us parents very proud

i received a six-page report from iñigo's teacher last friday. it's a progress report, the first and the last for iñigo for the school year since he just joined in her class november of last year. i was anxious to see it because i really had no idea what's going on inside the classroom since the day i decided to stop lurking outside and immediately leave the school premises as soon as i dropped him off.

the first two pages of the report are in narrative form and it reads (excerpts only)...

"...academically you (the report is addressed to iñigo) excel in reading readiness and math readiness skills. you know the names of the letters of the alphabet as well as their letter sounds. what you do not know, you absorb very quickly during class discussions. you have mastered identifying numbers 1 to 12. we have already begun to learn how to tell time by the hour. it is remarkable you grasp our daily concepts so easily. that's amazing, iñigo! this skill will surely benefit you when you move on to a big school.

i have noticed you have opened your doors to making friends with your classmates. 

...i am amused with your quiet conversations with swiss, marco, and andy while waiting for your name to be called.

the last trimester, i have watched you grow more independent, more involved with school activities. it also seems as though as you have grown happier about coming to school. your enthusiasm in the classroom is quite contagious which help others become more enthusiastic too. i love the way you smile when you get excited about everything be it worksheets, art projects, or playground time. it is also great that you have eagerness to learn..."

iñigo strutting his stuff during their circle time

the remaining pages discussed what they--all the three teachers--have observed and haven't  observed on our son based on the checklist they have provided, so typically it's all about iñigo's strengths and weaknesses and if he has already achieved the milestones for a three-year old.

all in all, the report made jude and i very proud about our eldest son's achievements in school. everything that the head teacher wrote about iñigo were all positive. this prompted me to schedule a one-on-one consultation last monday with teacher celes, the head teacher, as i was thinking she may probably missed out or deliberately removed the not-so-good things to say about my son and since i still have plans of homeschooling iñigo i want to probe further on the areas which need improvement. and lo and behold... there's almost none! :D teacher celes and i only had a brief discussion as she had nothing else to say about iñigo but praises. she started by saying that we have a very smart boy and he picks up (the lessons and instructions) very fast. i thought my ears were clapping that time! hahaha. she was also surprised that iñigo didn't have a hard time adjusting in school despite the fact that he only comes to class 2 to 3 times a week. it even made me prouder upon hearing that teacher celes had nothing against iñigo's behavior in school as my son listens (i couldn't believe this! hehe) and he knows how to share--two of the typical concerns she has with the other kids.

...and yes, she loves my son's eagerness and enthusiasm in the activities they are doing especially when they are off to the playground and iñigo will shout with one arm up "let's go now, classmates!" i can't believe she's talking about my son as he was really timid before especially when he's swarmed with bigger kids. iñigo has definitely came out from his shell and is a big boy now. though his teacher said that there's still a trace of that little boy in him as he's not confident sometimes of trying new things but with just a little encouragement from the teachers, he abides and iñigo is usually left euphoric with his new accomplishments like the first time he wrote his name and it was really a big deal for him as he told each of his classmates and teachers that he was able to write his own name--awesome! hahaha.

teacher celes also mentioned that he needs more concentration but she was quick to explain that it's probably because the tot is just overwhelmed with the many things he can do in school as he only comes a few days a week.

after ten minutes of discussion (i also brought up the fears iñigo has lately) teacher celes concluded the consultation by saying that iñigo is almost ready for big school.

and lastly, am sure it's not part of the progress report but teacher celes probably couldn't resist not to say that iñigo is very pogi... :) i almost laughed when she added that "i have a one-year old niece but she's still too young... probably when they are older..." nyek! hehehe.

their moving up day (sort of graduation day) is scheduled next week and i can't wait to see iñigo with his classmates doing a dance number. the whole family will surely be there to cheer for kuya iñigo. :)