Graded

for fourteen years

i attended

           

Graded

The American School of São Paulo

                                                                                  

  our mascot was an eagle

Graded cost forty

thousand american

dollars a year

                                                                                                fourteen

                                                                        times

                                                                        forty thousand

                                                                        equals

                                                                    five hundred and sixty                                                                                        thousand 

my parents had two children

                        epoch times ranked Graded number                                       eleven on a list of schools for the                                                 extremely rich

cut on dotted line and paste on infant

the promise bilingual  perfect fluency in standard english three diplomas a thousand open    doors maybe a million

                       

my graduating class had eighty six students

sixty two went to ivy leagues

one of them invented instagram

another is ceo of tumblr 

                                                                                         

 three committed                                                                            suicide before the                                                                              age of twenty five

there are no eagles in sao paulo

The Seed

Act I Scene IV

10^th grade

Prep for International Baccalaureate Higher Level English

Larissa has just completed her 45-minute oral dissertation on George Orwell’s 1984. The students have erupted in applause. She is glowing; she knows she has nailed the most difficult assignment of the year. Mr. Sweetman is smiling. The applause takes a long time to stop. Josh and David high-five Larissa. She takes a seat to receive her feedback. She is wearing a black and white striped prison costume, as part of her presentation.

MR. SWEETMAN

Okay! Okay! I know we’re very excited, but let’s take a moment to jot down our final feedback notes and let Larissa know some of our highlighting thoughts. Who wants to start us off?

DAVID

I thought that was amazing! I loved the cookie as society metaphor—and the cookies are delicious!

Students nod and hmmm in agreement. Mr. Sweetman smiles.

DIANA

I can’t believe you baked cookies! And the costume! It’s so cool! How did you think of that?

MARINA

Yeah! I really liked how you compared Winston to yourself and his world to our school, making parallels between dictatorships and institutions. That was really cool.

DAVID

Yeah, I agree. I liked the monologue part where you spoke as if you were Winston. That was so creative.

JOSH

Um, I know I’m not supposed to talk because she’s my girlfriend, but like, she rocked. I know she’s gonna get an Oscar one day. I really liked the monologue part too, and the costume. 

Students laugh. Mr. Sweetman chuckles.

LARISSA

Thank you! I appreciate all the support guys.

MR. SWEETMAN

Yes, yes, I agree with all that’s been said. It was indeed very engaging and entertaining, Larissa. And thank you for the delicious cookies. Your approach to Winston as a part of every person is indeed very creative and your monologue was touching. I think we were all able to relate to the part of feeling like school is a bit of a dictatorship…

Students laugh.

MR. SWEETMAN

However, I am sorry to say this, I really do feel very bad because that was truly phenomenal… But, um… you did not fulfill the requirements of the oral dissertation rubric. Although we understood your thesis through your costume and artifacts, you didn’t state it clearly, and you didn’t use at least two pieces of evidence, direct quotes and such, to support your, um, statements. Your language and demeanor were too informal. The cookie and speaking in the first person like you were the character... well, it’s just not relevant to the expectation of the IB HL rubric…

Pause. The class has fallen silent. Mr. Sweetman wipes sweat off his forehead. He takes a deep breath.

MR. SWEETMAN

I’m afraid I have to fail you for this assignment, Larissa. I really did think your performance was terrific… but it’s just not fulfilling the requirements of the IB rubric, and I need to prepare you for the oral test in two years. Your grade will be a 64%.

Long pause. The students are stone silent and looking at Larissa, who is on the verge of tears. Finally, she speaks.

LARISSA

That’s bullshit and you know it. I’m leaving your classroom. Fuck this.

Obituary

Creativity and Wonder, aged 14, left us this past April 13^th 1999, with their colleagues and teachers by their side on the premises of Graded School in urban Brazil.

Creativity and Wonder were born on July 16^th, 1985 to a passionate actress with a vivid imagination. They were the loves of their mother’s life.

Creativity and Wonder both loved live performance and the art of entertainment. They felt great joy in hearing others laugh and experiencing “A-ha!” moments, as they called it. They sought pleasure in all discoveries, including in the fields of mathematics and sciences.

They were both active members of the Church of Love of Learning. Their excitement in sharing LoL, as they fondly referred to it, made them models of the Church’s core values. Pastor LoveSpread commented, “They were exemplary members of our community and shall be greatly missed. The world is less colorful today as we mourn Creativity and Wonder.”

Creativity and Wonder are survived by their sisters, Complacency, Obedience, and Good-Girl. Their mother has been diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety Disorder and will not be attending the services. Creativity and Wonder spent their final moments in the arms of Mr. Sweetman, a teacher at Graded School. 

Science,

I boxed:

interest in the skeleton,

wonderings on whales,

the entire left brain.

(It’s like later in life when 

I try speaking French.)

It's not you, it's me. 


So long.

Rubric for Love of Learning (LoL)

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Comprehension	Person shows little understanding of LoL	Person begins to understand LoL	Person understands LoL	Person deeply understands LoL
Enthusiasm and Commitment	- Person is learning to fake a smile for learning - At the thought of learning, person immediately has a headache	- Person is able to smile or fake some emotion for learning - Occasionally gets headaches but is committed	- Person feels vibrations in the body when learning - Practices enjoying learning and is committed	- Person is able to orgasm when learning - Person is deeply committed and thinks of learning with nothing but love
Spreading LoL	- Person, when able to learn, keeps LoL to themselves	- Person understands concept of sharing LoL but is not always able to do it	- Person shares LoL whenever possible	- Person goes out of their way to share and spread LoL - Person is likely a teacher

Why Graded

i grew up poor i was a public school teacher it was the best school in the country in the continent maybe in the world there weren’t many choices if it weren’t graded it would be some other private school we thought the most expensive school meant the best school we were impressed by the resources all those libraries gyms auditoriums field trips fancy classrooms full of computers no one had computers then now that i know my daughter i see she would have gotten more out of a waldorf or montessori school a creative environment suited for an imaginative child but we don’t know our children we don’t know them for a very long time so we do what we think is best

    mom

i grew up poor i was a war refugee i went to british boarding schools so i knew two things for sure no british education system and no boarding schools i thought graded was beautiful the large campus all the open space the teachers seemed kind i could offer my kids the best so i did dad