Granite, Chris is right. I had comments exactly like that and even later. I'm still stinging under my 7th grade English teacher's comment, "Good ability, poor performance" one.

If I were you I would give your T the report cards to get rid of. She is on your side, she does not want bad things for you, does not want you to feel bad, does not and will not think you deserved the ugly things the mother did to you. Your mother was very misguided and sick in how she treated you. It is all about her, not you.

We have to learn to pay attention in school, learn to concentrate and how they use to teach that, with all of us facing front, silent, and not being ourselves was too harsh. It is not as bad as the things the mother did to you but, at times, was close. You were an adorable, inquisitive, ALIVE little girl and they tried to put a strait jacket on you and your spirit. Keep working, don't let their nasty work win in the end.