A more quiet week

Robert jokes that I always plan our weekend outings in order to have something interesting to write about here! Well I have failed miserably last weekend. We didn't go anywhere spectacular, just had a quiet weekend with some friends over here for a BBQ on Sunday. (It was for lunch, so the whole day went with the preparations and recovery ... if you start drinking wine at 1 pm ...). It was a good afternoon though with very interesting people.
Otherwise I have been busy with schoolwork. On Friday Beatrice's class had an assembly about poems which was quite impressive. They had all written poems and most were very good at performing them. We had practiced a lot in the garden here so that Beatrice had to speak up in order for me to hear from far away. That payed off as she was given extra lines to say the thank yous and goodbyes on behalf of the class at the end because she spoke loud and clear. Very proud.
Apart from that we have been doing lots of maths with her. I have already written to some of you that she told she is struggling with maths at school and then we discovered that she really has made a few steps back and struggles with quite simple sums. She hadn't been using the number square correctly and because that is so mechanical her ability to do sums in her head has deteriorated as well. So we do maths every day even though they don't get any homework. I am cross that the teacher hasn't picked it up with all the fees we pay for the school! But feel a bit torn as well to be honest. Here everybody is so focused and so many kids get extra tuiton, go to Kumon for maths and tuition in Mandarin and English, and 5 sports and music lessons every week. At the same time just read they are discussing banning all homework for primary schools in the UK. So what is the right way here?
Tomorrow is Hari Raya - public holiday - so we hope to do something cultural with the kids as Robert is working.