Damned Faint Praise.

So I had this delight waiting for me in my inbox this evening:

Just wanted to update you and the C family about Math Olympiads.

First, I am delighted to have Nic as part of our "Varsity Math" team. Math Olympiads has only met a few times, but for the most part Nic has been participating and staying on task. He tends to work alone or seek adult help, so we are encouraging team work. Communicating mathematical ideas and trying new strategies is our focus. However, he did become very frustrated during our first meet yesterday. This was due to the fact I could not help or explain the problems.
So we came up with - in Nic's words, "a great compromise." Love it!!
He will come for all the practice sessions and skip the competitions. This way he is exposed to the math, but without the pressure.

I will keep you informed about our competition schedule in the future. Let me know if you would like me to notify Nic's parents as well.

Have a wonderful weekend

Okay. First of all, no one said anything to me YESTERDAY--or even in the preceding week that there was a competition. Second, the quick easy out was a little too quick and easy for my gut. I responded:

"I wish I had know about this and that there was a competition. This is fine, but I am thinking as Nic gets more comfortable working with his teammates that he might be encouraged to try to compete. Of course this is totally up to the discretion of Mrs ****.

I'll talk to him this weekend about it. Thanks for the update and have a good weekend!"

I sound chipper enough, but I am deeply annoyed. I half expect that the response that will come back is that they can't make him. Fine. But I can. And Nic knows it.

Why are people so quick to throw up their hands? I dealt with this less than a week ago, and guess what, Nic took to his new role like a duck to water. And I expect....fully expect.....that I will be heard, and Nic will compete.

But I can't expect it to happen next go round, or even the next one, because, you know, they think he CAN'T.

I can't wait until he proves them wrong. Like I told him tonight, the only failure is not trying at all.

But damn, these people make it hard for me to keep my kids motivated. They make it too easy for them to cop out.

Damn them. I know they wouldn't want this for their own kids.

Damn them.