Track Stars

This is news only really of interest to grandparents and devoted aunts and uncles. Patrick and Annie competed in a school district track meet today. Annie had a third place finish in both the 50 meters and the high jump (yes, really). Patrick had a first place finish in the high jump and the 100 meters, and third place finishes in the 200 and 400 meters. Patrick was also the lead off runner for the boys' 4x100 relay team, which finished first, despite some trash-talk from one of the other elementary schools. :) OK - now, does this take any of the shine off of these results: grades 4-6 do what is known as a "standards" track and field competetition. Which means that Annie did not necessarily finish in the third spot in her competetitions, but acheived a third place TIME. I think this to avoid having anyone with hurt feelings. Even little slow kids can get a certificate. Patrick's relay team did beat out a bunch of other teams in that competition, however. While on the one hand, I am all for kids not feeling vastly inferior because of their poor genetics, no one is really fooling the kids. At the end of each school term, the elementary school has an awards assembly. Kids get awards for the various school subject areas, and overall awards based on grade point average. The last time I congratulated Annie on one of her awards, she said to me, "Everyone gets something." So, the kids have it figured out. Still, I have to commend teachers for innovations like not letting children choose their own teams in PE.

(Let it be known that this writer was the smallest in her class every year and that she always got picked to be the one "coming on over" in Red Rover because she was too tiny to break through anyone's arm holds.)