Honor Roll Katerina
It was a warm September night in 2009. I sat at the kitchen table and waited while dear Katerina sat on the floor and wailed…”I can’t do it….I won’t do it………..”. I left her there that night. I went upstairs after telling her that homework would be done every night and there would be no note to the teacher excusing her.
Katerina had just finished a rough year in school the year before. She had moved from public to private school and discovered she was a bit behind. She had passed, but by the skin of her teeth. It had been a struggle. Her mom had moved her to Saint Patricks. She wanted to be sure that Katerina had every chance to succeed. It was a struggle for a single mom to pay the tuition. She made that struggle because…well, she is a mom and mom’s do that kind of thing.
I was new to the scene and had memories of my school years in a parochial school. I got by but it was very hard. I knew Kat was still trying to adjust and wasn’t sure she could get it done.
It was a new year and I told her……….this year…the honor roll. She allowed that she was not smart and she had never done that and she could not do that and on and on and on.
Then her mom stepped in and laid down the law.
The same laws that were in place for her sister and brother.
Welcome to no t.v. Welcome to no IPod Welcome to the world of doing homework every night.
Mom’s know best.
Opps…hey John…welcome to the 6th grade again!
The rules were in place. Homework would be done when she came home each day. If she needed help, we would help her after dinner.
Fall turned to winter, the blizzards came and went and winter discovered Spring. We passed Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Sadie Hawkins (?) and Easter. Kat learned to study every day.
We did homework together every night.
Grades came in each quarter. Some up and some down. Projects were assigned and done. She built the Great Wall of China. She read books. Math problems were conquered. Kat began to believe. She saw the results of working hard. She worked harder.
Today, the school year came to a close. Report cards were sent home. Oh, and there was one other item she brought through the door. Yep, a certificate that indicated that for the first time in her life…she made the Honor Roll. She beamed. She smiled. She believed. She refused to give in to the fear that she could not do it. She grew into a hard working young lady. She conquered her fears and her doubts.
Congratulations Katerina…we are very proud of you!
The school is located in Flower Valley in Rockville, Maryland. It is a great neighborhood. If you would like to move to the area…and have an Honor Roll student nearby…give me a call at 301-509-5111.
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