In my homeland there is a popular saying ‘where the nail is the splinter’, referring that the achievement of the children is the reflection of the parents, and from what I understand, the little princess is following in good footsteps, as she is in the shade of good trees.

A hug full of blessings that strengthen the successes. Congratulations little Smallsteps...

We used to do this sort of thing when we were seniors in high school, but not for the lower grades.  My niece just graduated and she won three awards.  I know two of them were most athletic and most likely to win the hunger games.  Congrats to you little one for all of her awards. It sounds like she is certainly making an impact on those around her.

>found it interesting though that there were stipends given out, but these are sponsored by local businesses and the categories were geared toward the business activity. There is no real issue with this, but it is also strange that there was nothing for academic ability, meaning kids are getting rewarded for other aspects

In my opinion, it's not ideal. Academic performance should come first before any other thing. Yes, it's a good thing to be skillful, however, I think they put the cart before the horse. 

>In my opinion, the soft skills learned at school should focus on things like time management, decision-making, problem solving, and communication - and keep the moral opinions out of the equation as much as possible.

I agree with you. These soft skills are very important. When you are being asked what are your skills in an interview, definitely these are the expected answers because they are essential for real world success if I'm right. But a more rounded approach would help the students. As these soft skills are learnt, morals should also be imbibed.  In my opinion.

*When it comes to parenting by convinience*

"I've had a lot of issues with parents on that. They want their wards to be disciplined, but they don't give you the access to play your role as a teacher. That's why moral decadence is eating deep into the educational system.



>I don't have many worries for Smallsteps herself, but I do worry about the environment in which she grows up in, and will have to navigate as an adult. I am hoping that she will be a skilled, well-rounded person, who is healthy across the physical, mental, and emotional domains. And hopefully, in the process of doing this, she is able to build the healthy relationships across all of their forms, to be able to be willing and able to face whatever she encounters along the path.

You've been following her up well, and I believe she'll make the family proud as she journey in life.

Dear @tarazkp !
I've always admired your talent for capturing the most beautiful parts of people with your camera!
I felt that you captured Smallsteps at its most beautiful moments on camera!

You'll be thrilled to see Smallsteps doing well academically and actively in school!
From my perspective, she looks a lot like you!

She has black hair just like you, but I'm not sure about her eye color. It's such a different color from the black eyes of East Asians like me!

I feel like she's more mature than most girls her age!

I would guess that she is more mature for her age, since she knows your current health condition!

I thought she was a strong and thoughtful girl like you!

Beautiful Tradition 😍 

Smallsteps is so grown up now. When did that happen? 

Wow, what a beautiful and thoughtful reflection and This was a special milestone for Small steps and you not only captured the moment but also deeply felt its emotions and growth and  This tradition of taking photos with the letter board not only preserves memories but also tells a story of growth change and continuity truly beautiful. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article 

Your tradition of taking photos every year is great. The bond between you will grow stronger as you look at the photos and see him grow.

It is great that Smallsteps loves school. I have a little nephew who does not like school. He probably does not have a good bond with his classmates.

The contribution of the school to the students decreases as the years go by. Apart from the collective consciousness and socialization, the school does not contribute much. Schools provided distance education during the Covid period. Although there are some shortcomings, schools may switch to distance education in the coming years.

I really like the idea of taking pictures at the start and end of each school year. They don’t do that here, except maybe during graduation, and even then, it’s up to the student.

Also, over here, schools still give prizes to students who come first, second, and third in academics. I found it interesting that in your case, the awards are more about soft skills and sponsored by businesses. It’s a different approach.

I wish Smallsteps the very best in her new school.

You are great! My youngest son also got excellent grades for the 4th grade. We were given certificates, but there were no cash rewards or other gifts.

I think that many parents are playing heir role mistakingly nowadays. They do whatever their children want and spoil them as much as possible. So-called this is done for them to build self-confidence, however this just turns to bringing up an irresponsible individual.

Beautiful!