End of Year Conference Confirmation

Well, at least I now *know* I'm not just a biased parent.

We had our end of the school year parent/teacher conference yesterday. The overall gist (and I'm directly quoting here):

Biggest weakness: "She likes to be in charge and would benefit from more practice working out common solutions." Her teacher praised her "leadership" but also said that she doesn't seek out just the 'followers' to play with, thus she can end up butting heads with some of the other strong willed kids in class. On one hand, we will definitely try to address this (compromise, etc). On the other, it's hard to complain about the girl who is "self-confident" enough to choose interaction with other strong personalities too. And, yes, that was the *only* weakness addressed (lest you think I'm glossing over things!).

Strengths: Well, her teacher listed many, but the best summary (rather than being a complete braggart) came at the end of the conference. She specifically told me that we will need to plan a meeting with the Elementary School about a month into the year (enough time for them to get to know her a bit, but soon enough that we don't waste too much time). Ms. J said that there are "several parents who think their children (in this class) are gifted, and they may well be (it's early to tell) . . . but Anna Claire is the only one I will say absolutely needs to be placed in a program specifically designed to challenge her."

So, there it is: the G word. A double edged sword. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. But, I also *know* that it is not a title that guarantees any sort of easy/happy road through school. But, as of now, I'm trying to be relaxed about the whole Kindergarten thing. B and I have already decided that we'll wait until just before we leave for Disney (about 5 weeks into school) to set up a meeting for just after we return.

Besides, as of right now (just after a "field trip" to one of the elementary schools for lunch there): Anna Claire is most excited about the cafeteria (and the "huge library") anyway!