I'm a Mom- that's my job

Being a Mom to 2 teenagers who attend school in a foreign country isn't easy. Rules for testing and so forth are different here although it does remind me greatly of when we lived state of Virginia. Way Virginia? Because that's a state that teaches their state test just like England teaches the stuff that's on their GCSE tests.

It's the national testing of students and the GCSE testing. It's done at the same time all across England and even with the given current conditions across the country with many schools being closed because of the snow on the roads (which they won't plow) they won't postpone this testing- INSANE!!!! Thousands of schools are closed and the testing still goes on. Where am I going with this you wonder? Our school Kingham Hill out in Chipping Norton realizes the importance of this testing and doesn't want our kids to miss out on this. Can they take the test again in June? Well yes BUT and there is a rather large BUT in all of this. You see, the test given in June is;
1- not the same test
2- they can not prep for this test again with another mock test
3- if they fail the test in June they are screwed!

So it's best if they all take the test now and if any one of them fails for it, they have that 2nd chance to pass it.

The school organized a convoy of 4x4 vehicles, called parents to see if they were interested in having their children picked up in this unconventional manner and be boarded at school for a couple of days while they administered the tests. Only the children having testing on Thursday or Friday would be picked up (year 10 students). My Hannah being a year 10 student was part of that group. I was very impressed with the fact that the schools' headmaster was in that convoy, organizing the pick ups and so forth. Granted we American parents were only given a couple hours notice of this event, we for the most part got our teens packed and ready to go. Only a small handful decided not to send in their children via the convoy due to the poor road conditions. I don't blame those parents for making that decision, I was at a crossroads myself with making my decision to send in our daughter.

Being a mom whose daughter may be spending one or maybe a few nights at boarding school, well I decided to do something special for my daughter. I sent her in with tons of American snack foods...to share with the other girls in the dorm where she is staying. I figure that she's a visitor and those girls have been cooped up there at the school while the Day Boarders got to stay home because of the snow. I sent in my entire secret stash of Girl Scout cookies, Microwave Popcorn the Movie Theater Butter variety, Fig Newtons cookies - apparently the British Kids at this school are crazy about these cookies and we haven't the faintest clue as to why, LOL! Instant lemonade packets- just drop it into a water bottle (with water of course) and Voila! It's the little things that make kids happy. If I had more time I would have made brownies and chocolate chip cookies for Hannah to bring with her to share. From an American view, I have made an awkward last minute boarding situation into a fun loving slumber party...Life is Good! Although I miss my daughter, I hope that she enjoys her time with her bunk mates, that she gains a new perspective on things and sees things through the eyes of the boarding students and how life is for them.

I'm off to wake up our son who doesn't have school today (because of the buses not running due to the poor roads conditions) and then to organize my quilting fabrics.