First term at Malory Towers

(pic from Brownies' website)

While hanging out with Professor Chic during my recent trip back, we talked about how privilege our kids were. Having a small family and leading a moderate lifestyle mean that we are able to provide more for our kids. She sends her kids to a good private school (not that she needs to as they are bright and have their parents’ genes), allows them a bit of fancy toys, allocates holiday trips local and abroad, including one for her and the girlfriends, to name a few.

The young lady is currently leading a life which I could only dream of when I was a child. As she enters into her fourth week, I am beginning to see the perks of attending an exclusive school.

I had no complaints about her former place in London. To me, it was definitely better than what I experienced when I was at her age. A small school with adequate and attentive staff as well as being ranked top 1% throughout the country this year, it was a great place to be.

The current one however, gives a different perspective. They encourage independence, creativity and self-discipline in students as well as respecting diversity. I suppose it is the same in any given school but I feel they take a step further in achieving these goals.

For example, Year 4 to 6 have already adopted Upper School’s system where one has to go to subject’s room when lesson changes. It is not as often as senior students but enough to keep them alert i.e. lesson and destination. The first two weeks saw them lost a couple of times and it got interesting when they were separated from one another. I think only two or three subjects are taught in their own classroom or base as they call it.

Middle school (aka their year group) has its own science lab which makes the subject appealing. Imagine a proper lab with equipments and tools fit for 8 to 11 year olds. Apart from Art, they have Design Technology where this term’s syllabus is paper engineering. I believe everyone loves Drama, especially when they get to play ‘wink murder’ and act death scene. The school has an affiliation with a leading performing arts academy and students can sit for examination to get some form of certificate (I only read this briefly). So far, the young lady enjoys her languages’ lessons and has picked up a few phrases. Sometimes she gets mixed up with her French and this is where I’ll jump in.

Next is the break. The school has no bell, probably on purpose. They get two breaks; a 15 minute time out in the morning and lunch which lasts for 50 minutes. Kids have to be mindful of their timing. She didn’t need a watch before but now, it plays an important role. She always manages to squeeze a trip to the library during her morning recess. I was told that it is big and cosy, with many PCs on high-speed broadband (she emphasises the SPEED) and bright sofas. She has borrowed four books todate and checks her email from time to time. In addition, Middle School has their own common room where one gets to lounge and gossip (ok, maybe chat and play. Gossiping is for upper school).

The school accepts special kids and they are not treated differently. I suppose they get an extra hour for special class or swap certain subjects with something else e.g. physical therapy but the rest of the lessons are taught in the same manner. A classmate of hers is one of them and she goes to almost all lessons, and yes, including zooming from one place to another in her wheels. I think it is awesome as it creates a positive environment to kids and promotes high level of acceptance.

Not forgetting is the school trip. On her first day there, I received an email detailing the trip. It’s a four day camp at an adventure centre located near a fishing port where many outdoor activities take place, including trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, dolphin watching etc. I wasn’t ready to let her go as she had many changes in the past three months. Plus, it is in another country. Perhaps next year and maybe by then, she’ll have more confidence to go on away trip. It is a stark contrast to my experience as my first overnight outing happened when I was twelve and it was only two hours away from home.

So you see, in many ways, the young lady is lucky and will reap many benefits if she maximises this opportunity. Of course just like everyone else, sometimes she gets a bad hair day and that triggers all the horrible moods, hence missing London terribly. It’s an adjustment but the way she sees it, all her friends either are in transition mode or have gone through the phase. It comforts her knowing they are in the same boat.

The fact that she is making plans on what she wants for next term or next year eases me too. *smiles*