Two entries in one day. But I couldn't let this pass. Life is not all about me. I needed to brag on my son.
Last night, Bill and I went to see Brendan perform in his school play. He was the title character called Roll, in Sheik, Rattle and Roll. He's a wise man who does a lot of sleeping through the scenes and provides comic relief. I never thought Brendan was the drama type. He's pretty shy and doesn't enjoy performing in front of people. But, he tried out and was assigned this part. Ben, his best mate, plays Sheik. I went to the day performance, too, which was less crowded and more laid-back, to videotape the play for our families. So, between the two, I got to see him at his best. Ben had more lines, and sang a solo, but Brendan was right in there, pulling the gags and delivering the lines with confidence - and singing.
His school is so small that all the students in years 3 through 6 participated. Some were sheep. Some were stars. There were lots of angels. But there was only one Roll. He was unique and special. I was so proud! He's way too cool to be my kid.
Showing posts with label play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label play. Show all posts
Friday, 15 December 2006
Saturday, 2 December 2006
Groove to the Beat
As I write this, I'm listening to Brendan play a steady, groovin' beat on his drums upstairs. He had his first drum exam last week, and thinks he passed.
In England, they keep track of how accomplished you are by the grade you've acheived. Brendan has been taking drum lessons for a little over a year and has hopefully passed Grade 1 with the Rock School. His tutor just recieved the best teacher in England award for 2006. Brendan loves drum lessons, and even though his grade won't mean anything when we move back to America, I think it's good for him to be in a few high-stress situations. He doesn't get much at school. They don't have grades per se. They are placed on a scale of achievement in Maths, English, and Science. And they take a national standards tests every year, but the results only really count in years 2 and 6. So this year will be a big year for him, if we're still here in May.
Children move to secondary school in year 7 (6th grade). They don't have middle schools anymore. It's a big deal here, because you have to apply for a position in the schools of your choice. We went to three secondary school open evenings in October to see what they were like. I was most impressed with Northampton School for Boys. It's like university for children. But there's stiff competition for getting in. I had to fill out a questionaire on why our son would benefit form single-sex education, why this school was a good fit for him, etc... and jump through all the hoops to get things in by certain deadlines. They specialize in Music, Technology and Sport, and their facility it top-notch. I wouldn't mind staying another year if Brendan got accepted, just to give him a chance to see what school could be like. His friend Tom was accepted last year, and it took a long while for him to learn to organize and balance the extra homework and extra-curricular activities.
Brendan also has one of the lead roles in the Christmas play this year. He is a wise man named Roll. He and Ben and a girl from his year 6 class take the lead parts. He's SO excited. He's already learned his lines off by heart and he sings the songs in the shower and everywhere else. I have to make sure the video camera is charged and working for this one.
Bill's calling. I'll talk about him next time.
In England, they keep track of how accomplished you are by the grade you've acheived. Brendan has been taking drum lessons for a little over a year and has hopefully passed Grade 1 with the Rock School. His tutor just recieved the best teacher in England award for 2006. Brendan loves drum lessons, and even though his grade won't mean anything when we move back to America, I think it's good for him to be in a few high-stress situations. He doesn't get much at school. They don't have grades per se. They are placed on a scale of achievement in Maths, English, and Science. And they take a national standards tests every year, but the results only really count in years 2 and 6. So this year will be a big year for him, if we're still here in May.
Children move to secondary school in year 7 (6th grade). They don't have middle schools anymore. It's a big deal here, because you have to apply for a position in the schools of your choice. We went to three secondary school open evenings in October to see what they were like. I was most impressed with Northampton School for Boys. It's like university for children. But there's stiff competition for getting in. I had to fill out a questionaire on why our son would benefit form single-sex education, why this school was a good fit for him, etc... and jump through all the hoops to get things in by certain deadlines. They specialize in Music, Technology and Sport, and their facility it top-notch. I wouldn't mind staying another year if Brendan got accepted, just to give him a chance to see what school could be like. His friend Tom was accepted last year, and it took a long while for him to learn to organize and balance the extra homework and extra-curricular activities.
Brendan also has one of the lead roles in the Christmas play this year. He is a wise man named Roll. He and Ben and a girl from his year 6 class take the lead parts. He's SO excited. He's already learned his lines off by heart and he sings the songs in the shower and everywhere else. I have to make sure the video camera is charged and working for this one.
Bill's calling. I'll talk about him next time.
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