Terra No… No… No… Va
After much ado and a few months late, Terra Nova scores went home with Lower School students yesterday and are available now for pick up in the GCS Office for Upper School. As a teacher and administrator at Gramercy, I had the privilege of receiving all four of my children’s scores yesterday afternoon and honestly, it was a rough evening and an even rougher morning at my house. I blame Terra Nova and need to say something out loud.
Although test scores do teach us things about how we can improve teaching and learning at Gramercy and about the way our children’s brains work, they do not define my children, nor do they rank my children as to which one is “smarter” or of more value to society. In post-Terra Nova frustration, I spent my evening and morning trying to remind my children of this fundamental truth: each one of them is fearfully and wonderfully made and God has a unique plan for each of their lives. In His sovereignty, God has also designed and equipped their brains, bodies, and personalities to be ready for the “good works” He has prepared for them. Furthermore, none of my children can take any credit for the brain God has given them, nor can I.
As parents and students, I think it is easy for us to fret about what a piece of paper has to say about our credentials and although we need to care, we don’t need to care too much. I have four children and each one is incredibly different and incredibly gifted. One is a good public speaker. One is good at soccer. One has some serious street smarts and one is exceptionally studious, but they are all created in the image of God and for His glory. Although they are prone to compare themselves to one another, God isn’t doing that and neither am I. In fact, it matters very little to me where they fall on the national average. Personally, I am grateful to have the privilege of getting to know four of the most unique and amazing people I’ve ever met, and I’m excited to see what God has planned for their lives.
Gramercy Christian School is committed to the education and spiritual upbringing of our students with this truth in mind: However God has formed your child, with whatever strengths or weaknesses he or she may have, our desire is to partner with parents to help prepare each student to excel and to embrace the future God has planned for them.
A copy of my kids’ Terra Nova scores is being filed in the GCS office for future reference, and that’s a good thing I suppose. But parent to parent, I’ll tell you the truth. My copy has currently found a permanent home in the trash can.