Saturday 26 July 2008

updates

Salaam. It has been nearly a month I think since I last wrote anything onto this blog. July - is always a terribly busy time of the year for me... this is the time when all the PEKA (Science Practical Assessment) assessors would be after us science teachers for the students PEKA marks for both SPM and S=PMR. And I am involved with both. This is the time that I would sudenly realise that one or two of my nincampoops students have not submitted their work at all. Also for the very slow and weak classes, I must make sure that they produce something to get minimal marks at least. I never minded teaching, but its the chasing after students to get their lab reports that tire me off.

No matter how I try to keep abreast with the work that needs doing in this month, year after year, I will be hard pressed for time. This is the month (or just prior to this), that class teachers meet up with parents for a report of their children's performance. And yes...I am a class teacher as well. From collecting the marks, preparing the mark sheet, right up to meeting the parents themselves, can be quite stressful. We have to make sure that the marks that are keyed in are correct, but what is worse is chasing after the subject teachers for marks, and the odd one or two students for their report cards, just to be sure we meet the deadline for passing up the report cards to be signed by the administrators and returned to us before the parent-teacher day! Stressful...as a result, i was so exhausted and even blacked out in school one afternoon...bummer!!

This is the time too that the third monthly test papers needs to be prepared. By right I should be reprieved this month, considering I had prepared the midyear exam papers. But upon looking at my colleague who is pregnant, and as her Science Panel Chief, I have not the heart to let her carry that burden on top of the obvious burden she is carrying in her now. So, yet again, I assume the responsibility, at least in the name of frienship. Same goes with Biology paper. And, truth be told, I have yet to submit those papers for printing. But they will be ready, God Willing. I adhere this time to the saying, "IF not for the last minute jobs, many things would not be done," hahaha...lame excuse I know..

Still there is lots to rejoice in this month. Big brother Apek's birthday celebration was a blast. I finally got the chance to show off (hmmm) and try out the camera on my new Samsung smartphone. Got the chance to meet up with all my sisters and brothers too...something I always look forward too, not forgetting the food.

Then, it was also report card day for both my boys. Reports that came back make m ever more grateful to God for having them. Ashraf as usual with his string of all As, with his deeniyah scoring an almost perfect 100% score, 97 ++%...really I was and still impressed. As for his academics, all A1s except you know what...Biology! and Add. Maths. Well done son. And as for my little baby, he scored 4As for his UPSR subject, getting a B for BM. But as the teacher told me, no one got an A because the particular teacher had set an "extra" difficult paper - for what purpose I fail to see. I would rather he set a paper in line with the national exam standards and format. Well, he has his own reasons I suppose. But the best part, my baby Zakiy got 1st position in class this time, for the second time, You know what, I think he is slowly maturing, and catching up with his brother.

Still more to come, Finally I got the agreement letter to my novel. And the last information is that, God Willing the book will be out in the market in 3 weeks time. Look out for it okay. And please please please, support my first novel. Get them for your children, for your friend's children, for yourselves if need be hahaha...Please pray for me....and my first born novel...more on this later. But for now, I am looking forward to unwind with my siblings at mom's birthday potluck party tonight...inshaallah.

p/s: Uncle, I strive to update this blog for you and auntie ok...smiles...