[Oberon]

Very likely, though she may have also been embarrassed by her penmanship and grammar.

Both of which are exemplary by the standards of the average denizen of today's public schools.

Don't get me wrong... there's room for improvement... but she was able at least to mach subject and verb, a skill that eluded many of my collegiate peers.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

The Ithaca School system was, at least a few years ago, an adherant to that "invented spelling" nonsense, in which teachers don't correct spelling errors so as not to stifle the child's creativity.

That being said, I agree that it sounds like the poor kid was terrified.

As noted in an earlier post, Ithaca's ACS truly is a Soviet style indoctrination center. It's where they most liberal of the liberal send their kids.