Every Picture Tells a Story

Oct 30, 2007

MomComm: For those who may be wondering what became of Ross: Oct 21-26 she was away on Activity Week, a long-cherished tradition at Woodstock when everyone leaves Mussoorie for other parts of India. Some go on hikes, some on educational tourism jaunts, some on public service projects such as working in leper colonies. I have very fond memories of my three Activity Week trips, and my senior year independent project that let me stay in Mussoorie unchaperoned (!!) for a whole week.

Ross apparently had a good time on the Chandigarh trip, and we can expect photos and reports on her fotolog soon. But since she got back she has apparently been very busy with rehearsals: on Nov 16-17 she will star as Bianca (the "maid who would marry", i.e. Kate's younger sister) in a Bollywood-style version of "The Taming of the Shrew".

She's also practicing for the SATs that she'll take on Saturday; she has never done this kind of test before. It will be interesting to see her results.

I finally got a look at her report card from the first quarter, which ended Oct 2. I already knew that her grades were the best they've ever been - mostly A's and B's, with a high C in math (which is something of a miracle!). But I was blown away by the detailed teacher comments. I almost wept with joy to see that Ross has finally found teachers who understand and like her, who can appreciate her for who she is, with the skills she has (while helping her to develop new ones), and, best of all, let her know that they appreciate her. This was almost unheard-of in Ross' experience in Italian schools, and something she has long needed. Me, too - I was exhausted from years of struggling to buck up her spirits and self-confidence in the face of constant criticism from her teachers and lack of recognition in a system she just didn't fit.

I'll arrive in Mussoorie myself on November 15th, in time to see Ross on stage (for the first time since middle school - all her other theater experiences have been at summer camps). I look forward to seeing how she has grown.

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