That was the first line in a letter I received from the school today. A wave of nostalgia washed over me. When Gigi was a baby in 1999, I remember thinking that 2017 sounded like a million years away.
The letter was sent to all seniors, basically telling them to get there academic ducks in a row so they can graduate on time. Fortunately for me, the IB coordinator at Campbell, Dan Penick, painstakingly plots out the course work for each student every year. Parents and students don’t have to agonize over which classes to take. It’s done for us, and I am eternally grateful for that.
Along with the letter was a summary of her coursework – what she has completed and what is yet to be done. I’m floored at the rigor of the coursework in the IB program. It ain’t for sissies. It takes more than being smart. You have to be able to organize your time and keep your nose to the grindstone. Kudos to all those kids who have made it this far!
At the top of the page, in font so small my old eyes almost missed it, was Gigi’s GPA and class rank. High-performing kids are under a lot pressure. My husband and I don’t ask Gigi about her GPA or rank. Instead we try to create an environment that supports her goals. She wants to complete high school with all A’s and we do what we can to help her make that happen. I knew she was on track to achieve that. However, in my attempt to be a non-helicopter parent, I had no idea what each class was weighted. Only that she took a number of AP and IB classes.
Gigi was in the room when I saw it. I turned to her and gave her a high five and joked around about how she only has two more semesters to go and she’ll be done. All smiles on the outside, but inside, so, so proud of her that I nearly burst into tears. All of her hard work is paying off in unbelievable ways and it makes me a bowl of mush. I figured out last year that I can’t cry at every milestone, so I have a feeling I’m just going to have to perfect my high-fiving technique.