Private School
A ten year-old Jewish boy was failing math. His parents tried
everything from tutors to hypnosis; but to no avail.
Finally, at the insistence of a family friend, they decided to
enroll their son in a private Catholic school.
After the first day, the boy's parents were surprised when he
walked in after school with a stern, focused and very
determined expression on his face. He went straight past them,
right to his room and quietly closed the door.
For nearly two hours he toiled away in his room with math books
strewn about his desk and the surrounding floor. He emerged
long enough to eat, and after quickly cleaning his plate, went
straight back to his room, closed the door and worked
feverishly at his studies until bedtime.
This pattern of behavior continued until it was time for the
first quarter's report card. The boy walked in with it
unopened, laid it on the dinner table, and went straight to his
room. Cautiously, his mother opened it and, to her amazement,
she saw a large red 'A' under the subject of Math. Overjoyed,
she and her husband rushed into their son's room, thrilled at
his remarkable progress.
"Was it the nuns that did it?" the father asked. The boy shook
his head and said, "No."
"Was it the one-to-one tutoring? The peer-mentoring?" "No."
"The textbooks? The teachers? The curriculum?" "No", said the
son.
"On that first day, when I walked in the front door and saw
that guy nailed to the Plus Sign, I KNEW they meant business!"
everything from tutors to hypnosis; but to no avail.
Finally, at the insistence of a family friend, they decided to
enroll their son in a private Catholic school.
After the first day, the boy's parents were surprised when he
walked in after school with a stern, focused and very
determined expression on his face. He went straight past them,
right to his room and quietly closed the door.
For nearly two hours he toiled away in his room with math books
strewn about his desk and the surrounding floor. He emerged
long enough to eat, and after quickly cleaning his plate, went
straight back to his room, closed the door and worked
feverishly at his studies until bedtime.
This pattern of behavior continued until it was time for the
first quarter's report card. The boy walked in with it
unopened, laid it on the dinner table, and went straight to his
room. Cautiously, his mother opened it and, to her amazement,
she saw a large red 'A' under the subject of Math. Overjoyed,
she and her husband rushed into their son's room, thrilled at
his remarkable progress.
"Was it the nuns that did it?" the father asked. The boy shook
his head and said, "No."
"Was it the one-to-one tutoring? The peer-mentoring?" "No."
"The textbooks? The teachers? The curriculum?" "No", said the
son.
"On that first day, when I walked in the front door and saw
that guy nailed to the Plus Sign, I KNEW they meant business!"