My assessments are due. I'd rather be working on my novel.

To get government funding for our Playcentre, the parents running the sessions need to take early education courses. The courses are not difficult, but you need to attend some workshops, and for the higher levels, do quite a lot of written assessments.

This is (one reason) why parents send their kids to kindy (Kiwi for preschool). No one wants to get a degree in early education to be a volunteer.

I was supposed to finish my coursework (*ahem*) two school terms ago. But I was worried that people would think I was a tall poppy.

And with just one child, I began to feel I had made enough of a contribution to Playcentre. No other parents have finished their coursework either.

But with a parent leaving our Playcentre earlier than we planned, we need another parent with a higher course level. Right now.

And it seems that I’m the only one who has a chance in hell of finishing. I attended all the workshops a long time ago, but I have stalled on the written assessments.

So now it’s on. A big rush to finish my next course level before the next school term. Instead of the fine writing you have come to expect here at Wellington Road, I am writing on topics like:

Consider the “Possible Indicators” from the Pathways to Bicultural Assessment Practice diagram (reproduced in your manual from p7 of Kei Tua o te Pae Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars. Book Three Bicultural assessment he aromatawai ahurea rua). Use these to comment briefly on how well your own centre practices bicultural assessment.

The pressure of the deadline is so motivating. He haw.