Thursday, April 11, 2013

Lodève High school and Rémi

It's that time for Rémi - time to make a huge decision that will affect the rest of his future.
Let me preface this post by saying 1. it's long and full of boring details you probably wont care about though i tried to liven it up with piccies lol and 2. i feel so strongly about this possibility because i feel that remi has been forced into a school system and a group of kids who dont correspond to him and until now have had no choice but to trudge along and be that square peg in a round hole and suffer scholastically and socially for it.
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Here in France, they have to decide at the end of 3ème (9th grade) what their next step will be :
professional high school? generalized high school?  technological high school? or a shorter circuit leading to a professional career.
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We've been thinking on this all year of course.
Rémi loves to draw.  All the time.  I'm not a good judge because 1. i'm his mom and 2. i dont know anything about art to have a critical eye.  That said, i think his sketches and drawings show a lot of creativity (even if he does tend to draw pre-existing mangas, superheros, monsters and such - he puts them in new settings, different positions, different contexts)  He isnt the most observant person, but he definitely has an eye for things - not really fine details but he gets things others miss if you know what i mean.  For example he might not be able to tell you what color a person is wearing but he could draw that person and somehow you know that that could only be that person just because of some quirk or something.
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Anyhow, he really wants to go to a technological high school and specialize in applied arts or technological indutrial sciences of durable development (STIDD = sciences technologique industriel de development durable).  The STIDD has 4 branches, one of which is architecture and environment.
functional art
Typically in 2nd (10th grade) you dont yet pick a specialization, just the type of high school or trade school.  But the applied arts is an exception - they have you start off as soon as 2nd.
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They only have applied arts at lodeve.  the STIDD is at lodeve as well though they have STIDD at other schools in the area.  It seems though that the one at lodève is the best.
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Anyone still there?
if you are, here's what Rémi would like to do : go to lodève for AA in 2nd and decide in 1r if he wants to stick with AA or go with STIDD.  He wants to be an architect or an industrial designer or graphic artist. AA would be great for all three.  STIDD would be best for architect though.
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Here's the thing.  There is only one class of 36 for the arts.  And 150 candidates.
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And it's based on grades.
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And Rémi's grades suck!  They do not at  all reflect what he is capable of.  Or do they? I mean if you have the smarts but not the maturity or motivation to work, then maybe your capability is restricted and sayig he could do better is just as silly as saying someone who works hard but doesnt have the ease of comprehension that remi has could do better if he understood things more easily or quickly.  I guess what i'm saying is your level isnt based just on one factor, so it's not because Rémi is extremely intelligent that he's capable of doing better.
Whatever.
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Thing is he reallllly wants to go to Lodève for AA.  And after this past weekend's openhouse ... OMG, taht is where he should be!  I could not believe this place.  I just felt like Rémi had found his own people lol!
He's trying a lot harder these days and especially since this weekend.  Bt i'm worried it's too late and my heart is breaking for him.
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I'm praying that if this really is where he should be that he'll get in in spite of his grades and negative comments on his report card.
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We saw the guidance councellor (again) today.  She was very helpful and encouraging.  Rémi was starting to slack off a little again because he was saying it's too late, there's no reason to try anymore.  And also because he feels like the teachers have pegged him as aslacker, dreamer, class clown (yes, it is possible to be a dreamer and class clown, remi has proved that :/) and arent noticing his efforts to change.
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The guidance councelor said it's not too late, to kick it up a notch and that she was going to takl to all of his teachers before the next report card to let them know that he really is motivated by this option and to not sack him with negative comments or "reserved" stamped on his paper (which is the case of this last report card).
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OK!  If you're still lhere you're brave and/or you must really care about my son and that makes my heart all warm.

All the pictures throughout this post were expositions of the kids' artclass work during the openhouse.  They did an outstanding job!  They had all hand crafted their own costumes and were actingas receptionist, tour guides, and instructin us about what each project taught them and how they progressed.  I was sooo impressed with the quality of work and with the caliber of students.  They had even constructed little niches (see teh pic with remi in it for example) to store their art work and racks to shelve their opened sketh books.

Oh one more thing.  The dorms.  I am so excited for remi to go to this school if that's what is meant to be.  But it will break my heart for him to go stay in a dorm!!! at 15!!!  Apparantly this happens all the time in france.  my dh did it for HS and most everyone i know has to;  They say it was some of the best times of their lives.  I think it would be good for remi to get out from under my suffocating wings and to get away from his dad's criticisms as well as to see the other kids working (he says nobody studies - i think he might get a surprise lol).  But i jsut cant imagine him leaving. i have such mixed feelings about it.  that said, the dorms were awesome and a man who takes care of the kids and keeps them on track and enforces study time, lights out, etc... talked to us about dormlife and he seemed like a really great guy, who has a lot of respect and understanding for teenage kids.  at least that is a comfort for me, to know he'll be in good hands.
He'll get to come home every weekend and probably most wednesdays.

If you're the praying type, i would greatly appreciate any of your prayers joined to mine that whatever is best for Rémi come to pass.

11 comments:

Jkauder said...

Praying for your son.

Rebecca said...

thank you janet <3

Margaret said...

I'll be praying for Remi to be accepted to Lodeve, Rebecca. :) He sounds like a wonderful young man! - just been the swan in the ducklings' yard, no? (Hans Christian Andersen) It sounds like he's about to soar!

(...not a boring post by the way. :) You are a good writer you know!)

Rebecca said...

margaret! hi! thank you for the swan reference - i love it - that's it. and thank you for the comment about my blog :) and thank you for the prayers. hugs

Rebecca said...

btw margaret, do you have a blog i can check out? have you started knitting yet? what are you sewing these days?

Tini said...

I keep my fingers crossed. Here in Germany kids have the possibility to re-do a year in school (at least they had that back in my days) to improve their grades. Would that be a possibility for Rèmy as well? I was lucky enough to get an idea, what I wanted to do after school early on (I went to middle school and decided to go to Gymnasium afterwards to get my a-levels), so I started learning for school a lot earlier than the other kids....

Rebecca said...

tini, i had thought about holding him back a year esp wince all terachers' comments say he's immature but dh really doesnt want that and the councelor didnt think it a good idea anyhow. can you explain gymnasium?

Anonymous said...

Go Remi, go Remi, go Remi! We love you and know you can do it. It is time to work your ass off. Show those naysayers what you are made of. I know you are of the finest stuff!!!! We love you and cannot wait to see where you go in this live!
love, tatie di, uncle henry, grey and mycah

Rebecca said...

hey di and co! been missing you! how are you? did you guys have a reat weekend last week?
remi says thanks :)

Margaret said...

Hi Rebecca,
Sorry to get back to this late....caught a cold and it went around the family....back to normal now finally. :)

I'm so sorry but, no, I don't (yet) have a blog. I am just too busy at the moment....

Now, sewing - - I recently made all new curtains in my kitchen, to brighten up the place. I want to try a Jalie pattern teeshirt which I bought, though have been busy of late...

Knitting - - blush, I haven't gotten beyond the yarn and needles! Sooooo embarrassing to admit, but there it is, I haven't. I'm thinking that I will try my hand at it this summer on vacation, when I've nothing else pressing at the moment, kwim? I kind of feel I have "all thumbs" (memory from learning crochet, which I didn't master beyond double crochet and I think treble crochet stitch). It's probably just a matter of time and I'm going to see about a local knitting class.

((Hugs))

Rebecca said...

margaret i totally get the "all thumbs" thing! it's funny that my all thumbs is your forté and vice versa; wish we lived near one another and we could exchange knowledge! ive heard excellent things about jallie. ok i'm off to trace my mods onto pattern paper - im determined to have a sewing success! i mean it! really!