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Original poster

End of year certificate of achievement assembly

32 replies

forehead · 14/07/2009 11:50

I will probably be deemed a pushy parent ,but i am really annoyed with my dd's teacher. My dd is 5 and is in reception , she is really confident and is doing well academically. This morning the school had their celebration of achievement assembly and each child was given a certificate for things that they excel at . My dd reads really well and is reading at year 2 level yet this was not mentioned on her certificate despite the fact that she is one of two people in the class reading at that level. The other child was recognised for his exceptional reading ability despite the fact that my dd is on the same reading level. She received an award for being helpful to other children. I am proud of the fact that she is a kind and helpful child but it would have been nice if they had mentioned the fact that she is a very able child. I just wanted to know if anyone else had this type of experience.

OP posts:

Tommy · 14/07/2009 11:55

I really wouldn't worry about it. They have to give them all one and maybe the other child didn't have anything else they could give it for.

They are plenty more, rather more pressing things that you could worry about probably.

lottysmum · 14/07/2009 14:07

This often happens...a child in my dd's reception class (going back a few years) was made a Superstar of the month for reading...yet she was 4 levels below my dd ...however she was making good progress...my dd was given an award for good behaviour ...yet she was always up to mischief.......

I think it's lovely that your dd had the reward for being helpful to other children.....something to cherish when she gets older...the academic achievements will no doubt be plentiful later on.

bamboostalks · 14/07/2009 14:13

Why are you annoyed with your dd's teacher? Because she praised your dd for being helpful? You want her praised for her reading instead? I find that bizarre, surely you should be happy that you have a good reader and not require some sort of public appreciation of it. How do you know she is only one of two reading at that level anyway? The levels cannot be public knowledge can they? I would really find something else to worry about and stop being annoyed witha blameless teacher.

notnowbernard · 14/07/2009 14:15

I'd be prouder of the helpfulness, personally. And be over the moon that it was being acknowledged in front of everyone

You can't really teach helpfulness, after all. What a lovely trait to have at such a young age... to her peers, as well

bruffin · 14/07/2009 14:54

My DD is supposed to be gifted at maths and has never ever had a certificate for maths, however she once got a certificate for being the only child in the class who was prepared to work with a boy who is a PITA, not that wording obviously which I thought was lovely and was very proud of her. To be honest never thought about her getting a certificate in maths.

JohnDory · 14/07/2009 15:01

yy
take what you can get
she knows she is clever - does everyone else have to?

Smithagain · 14/07/2009 16:22

I'd think of it in terms of you know she's good at reading - and your DD will also be well aware that she's good at reading. A certificate for reading would have been an easy thing for them to give her. But not enormously imaginative.

On the other hand, being complimented for a personal trait like helpfulness is really nice. 5 year olds are not always known for being thoughtful about others' needs!

clam · 14/07/2009 19:36

"It would have been nice if they had mentioned that the fact that she was a very able child." Why? So you can polish your own ego in front of the other parents? Get over yourself.

MIAonline · 14/07/2009 19:56

I would rather DC got certificates for things that they worked hard at or put a lot of thought in to, rather than a natural academic ability.

And yes, I am sorry to say, you do actually come across as a bit of a pushy parent, especially as imo being kind to other children is a far greater skill than reading.

Well done to your DD.

Hulababy · 14/07/2009 20:01

I think a certificate for being kind and caring is worth an awful lot more than natural ability personally.

DD's certificate at her end of year assembly was not for academic ability, despite her being a very bright girl. Her report told s this, we didn;t really need her to get a certificate for it. Hers was for sharing her wonderful holiday scrapbooks and for producing them in such detail and putting so much effort into them. Worth lots more to me.

littlebrownmouse · 14/07/2009 20:08

I'll be giving one of my able children a certificate for having a great sense of humour and cheeky grin at the end of the week. Hope her mum isn't cross. We concentrate on the whole child at our school and things like being kind and helpful, having a good sense of humour, being polite are as highly regarded as academic acheivements. Hope your DD doesn't know you aren't happy about it.

angrypixie · 14/07/2009 20:30

You are 'really annoyed' that your dd has been recognized for being helpful to others???

angrypixie · 14/07/2009 20:31

PS YABVVVVU

Poor teacher, has she blown her end of year pressie?

cornsilk · 14/07/2009 20:34

If she's naturally a good reader and is reading at her own level (which happens to be at year 2)then that isn't really an achievemnet in the sense that she has pushed herself (or has she? Not clear from the op)

cornsilk · 14/07/2009 20:35

Arrrgh - achievement.

popsycal · 14/07/2009 20:39

I used to be head of year 6 for many years in a 6 class entry school
I made a point of writing a certificate for 180+ children every year for something that they had achieved. I would have been gutted to read a post like this.

I would be more pleased if my (very able) child receievd a certificate for his kindness and helpfulness than his 'ableness' tbh

hocuspontas · 14/07/2009 20:47

There will be so many MANY things to get annoyed about in the next few years that you will look back at this and wonder how it even registered

CapricaSix · 14/07/2009 20:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bruffin · 14/07/2009 20:54

Wait till you get to secondary school

littlebrownmouse · 14/07/2009 21:06

I'm slightly and that you are so aware of where the other children are in the class in terms of the wretched reading scheme! Mine goes to the same school where i am the literacy co-ordinator, I know where he is, I know how well he's doing, i know where the others in the class are in terms of ability (part of my job as lit co to track) but I have no idea which reading book they are on. Its irrelevent! I do know that he is polite and well behaved, that he loves school and is enthusiastic about everything he does in there.
Was THRILLED with the general comments on his report, could quote them almost word for word but could only give you a vague resume of his lit and maths comments.

Behaviour, manners, pleasant demeanor, co-operative are far more important in children than thier levels of academic ability. Especially reception aged children!

Original poster

forehead · 15/07/2009 09:29

Thank you all for your responses. I know that i am being unreasonable. I am really proud of my dd she is a lovely child. I thoroughly deserve to get flamed.

OP posts:

MIAonline · 15/07/2009 12:55

Well in that case, I officially award you a MN award for MNer most likely to take abuse advice on the chin.

Big round of applause from the class please.

catwalker · 15/07/2009 18:33

Maybe, just maybe, the other child, even though at the same "level" is slightly better at reading than yours?

At my DS's leavers' do at the end of Year 6 he got a certificate for being the only boy to wear the same clothes for a whole week at camp in his last year at primary.... Nothing on the certificate about his 11+ pass, his excellent KS2 SATS results, his sporting ability ...................... He was very pleased with himself.

mumeeee · 15/07/2009 21:22

She was given a certifcate to recognise that your DD is helpful. You should be very proud of her and pleased thet the teacher praised her,

carocaro · 15/07/2009 22:48

Yes you are being a tad too much imho, be pleased that she has done so well in reception AND got an award for kindness.

Why do you want it to be made so public anyway? All that should matter is that you are proud of her and not showing off to everyone else.

Carry on like this and she might think she's never good enough because of it!

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