Fifteen out of 22 Grade 6 students passed the Common Entrance exam and are admitted into St. Ignatius Secondary School, only one of three accredited secondary schools in the region.

15/22. That means more than two thirds of the kids passed. The last two years, it was a stretch to get to half. We sent 8 kids last year, 7 the year before.

The jubilation, the pride, the satisfaction almost brought me to tears yesterday, when Mistress Li called me to the school, into her office, where her and the Grade 6 teacher, Miss Eleanor, were looking at the results.

These kids, who've had Maisie's attentive teaching and guidance for three years, who've had all the teachers tutoring them last term, who had Maisie and myself call them to come study at night during the week before the test. These kids, who've I've dedicated the year to, with reading level assessments, English language activities, comprehension passages, composition exercises, vocabulary worksheets sent home, after school tutoring sessions, in school lessons.... I expressed high expectations for them, and constantly reminded them about this test they were preparing for, and why they are being pushed so hard.

I studied these kids, I learned these kids, and I love these kids. Each grade 6 I've helped with, I've loved teaching them and came to feel attached to them, but these kids I've come to know as people outside of school, I know a lot of their families.

"It will give them a chance," Maisie said. Exactly. And, when "You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose." - Dr. Seuss

It's now up to them to choose their direction, and who knows what direction that will be, but they have that opportunity, which is more than most in their village.

Here's the link to the album of the class of grade 6 this year:
Class of 2011 Grade 6 pictures