Always the one most able to make me laugh uncontrollably, a joyful and happy birthday was celebrated today for our second oldest. The gifts were focused on bringing him back to his love of science, a love that has been doused by the strange and counter-intuitive programs of our local public school system. Despite receiving one of the top scores in his State science exam, and being an all A student, and getting As in science all through school, he was dropped from the gifted program in middle school science. This set a year long downward spiral as he was yanked from his friends and rescheduled in decidedly lower level classes. It was probably pulling away from his friends that hurt the most. For a time he dropped all interest in science, a subject once so dear to him that in 4th grade, he was able to outscore over 70% of high school sophomores in a special exam administered at the Ohio State University. But such is our public school system. Like so many institutions today, it is long on bureaucracy and teaching to the test, and short on common sense and education.
Still, today saw some return to his interests in science, particularly astronomy and geology. Really. He was actually excited over a little mineral and rock chart that he received. If he does pursue a life dedicated to science, it will be the saddest testimony to the ineptitude of our school systems that he did so despite what they did for him, rather than because of what they did for him.
But in any event, that rant over now, here are a few pictures of our wonderful and quite brilliant young son who does make us proud, and helps to bring a ray of light into our sometimes clouded lives right now.
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His sly smile gives an idea why he is able to make me laugh the way he does; that and a razor-like wit
Here he is, the day before, adding some points to his Cross Country team's efforts
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