grades and ripples

Had a hard time sleeping last night (and woke up with a wrenched neck... guess I'm off to the chiro today [Lisa needs an appt, too, for a sore shoulder]). Kyle's been having some high school grade adjustment issues. At Back-To-School night, we found that he had a D in Health, and C's in three other classes. He's been able to turn around Health to an A, and the C in Geometry to an A. I had given him two and a half weeks to bring the C's to B's, else I would sit him from games. Tuesday, the grade checks came back... still C's. So he sits.

But that's not the issue. His Science class has not turned in an assignment for a week... so it's difficult for him to raise the 78 percent to 80 (honestly, we weren't too impressed by the teacher at BTS night... and Lisa has a growing antipathy toward her [I know, unbelievable for Queen of Second Chances Lisa]). English looked to be tough, but doable. He had 75 percent, but had a major paper on the Iliad due last week. We helped him edit it, and it turned out well. Or so we thought... Looking at the online gradebook yesterday, (unless I'm reading it wrong) he received a 71 out of 100. Kyle doesn't know yet, but both Lisa and I are concerned. The paper was solid. Of course, now we're questioning ourselves. And wondering if (since we didn't see the actual essay prompt) Kyle missed something crucial... or if his thesis, that Achilles is NOT heroic, didn't pass muster with the teacher whose assignment was on discussing a hero in the Iliad. The title of the assignment is "Response to Literature" and he did. But Lisa says we shouldn't jump to conclusions about anything until we see the returned paper. We just know that he will be devastated. So this morning, after his shower, I'm going to prep him (since the papers are supposed to come back today).

So he misses his first game this afternoon. He want to go to the Homecoming Dance in a week and a half, but Lisa and I both agree that it's a no-go with C's. It's tough... it's a formal dance, so it can't be a last minute decision. This really stinks.

I know that in the larger scheme of things, this is nothing. But right now, fatherhood is not fun.