What is going on?

On my first day I was seated in the back. The teacher mumbled something and everyone bowed their heads. The teacher was kind enough to show me how to fold my hands? All I could think was, "Where am I? This is so weird?" The teacher then strutted to a huge piano a started banging on the keys and students started singing songs, all having the word America in it. I just watched and was amazed with the zealous behavior of the class. I just shrugged and could only assume that it was the way it was. Every day. In and out.
Otherwise, I don't remember much about the Upper Happy Valley School other than it was high on a hill and I was not very happy.
Right before the last day of school I found out I was moving. I tried to tell my teacher. And I must say it was a rather gallant effort. I told her, "I go away." and she said something about moving. I said "No, no, no, go away." and was sincerely frustrated at the miscommunication and finally shrugged my shoulders and walked off.
Although I built no real permanent relatioships at the school, since I was only there for a few weeks, I was invited to an end of the year party.
I don't remember how I got there. We had no vehicle. But I do remember the massive swimming pool. I could not swim, hence the steps were my boundary. I don't remember where the swimsuit came from since I had never been in a pool before, but I did pick up on something that brought great concern to me.
All the students were discussing what classroom they would be in next year. They all said 9. I looked rather inquisitive, because I was informed that I would be going to room 8. I was furious.
I was only 8 but I knew what had happened. The brilliant student of Amsterdam, with incredible math skills, and honestly not too bad English reading skills, was about to be flunked. I couldn't get out of the water fast enough and tell my mother. Oh, yeah, about the reading...I was a great decoder. Didn't understand a thing I read, but was proficient enough to put up a good challenge.
Did they really think I was stupid? Could they not read my mind? Weren't they going to give me time to learn the language. I was already bored with the curriculum. Come on now. See Dick run. Run,run, run. Large letters, mostly pictures, and math, well that was another thing. Boring. And they decided that the answer to my language skills was to keep me back a year? I had all summer to learn the language.