Welcome to your new life
Yesterday, we went to a morning mass because it was Packet Sunday. This is the Sunday before school starts, and after the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. masses parents can head over to the music room in the school to pick up information for the coming school year. I was very excited, and a little nervous, as I had been warned by veteran grade school parents that the packet is rather intimidating and requires hours of work and multiple checks.
Boy, where they right! We had letters from the kindergarten teachers, letters from the specialty teachers (art, music, Spanish), letters from the principle. We had forms galore (health and medical, emergency contact, emergency dismissal arrangements, hot lunch program) and calendars up the wazoo (playground duty, general school calendar, lunch calendar). We have fees for this, that, and the other, and a separate check is required for each. I cleared off the couch, got my my favorite pen and my checkbook, and set to work. It was really quite manageable, once I got into it. And a little frightening with the realization of how independent Zozo will be. Once she hits those school doors, she's expected to take care of herself. I won't be delivering her to her room, chatting with her teacher on a daily basis, and picking her up from that room. She'll have to either take her lunch or show her card to buy her meal, instead of just sitting down at a table in her classroom and having her food served.
Our commitment level goes up, too. We are expected to report for playground duty three times throughout the school year. That's not too bad, but it's obvious they take it seriously. We have to submit a $100 check post-dated for the end of the school year. We show up for our three turns, they shred the check. We miss a day, they cash it. We can switch with other parents if we need to, or we can call a sub, to whom we'll pay $30. Holy smokes.
We found out which teacher she has (Mrs. K.) and who will be in her room (11 boys, 9 girls...which made M scowl of course). Zoe ran around the music room with her new friends, and we had to pry her out from under the risers to leave. It's going to be great.
After we got home and farted around for a few hours, we ran to the hardware store (yes, the boy is working on Christmas!) and lunch. Upon arrival home, I spotted a yard sign in front of our house. It has the school logo and says, "WELCOME TO _____________" with the school name. (For privacy reasons, I'm not posting her school.) Someone had also drawn her name on the front with a flowery circle around it.
"Look, Zozo! It's a sign just for you! It says welcome to your new school!" She squealed, delighted, and M beamed. And then I burst into tears. Again.
Good grief. I really hope this passes after Thursday. It's getting ridiculous. It always comes when I least expect it. I have seen her school place signs in other kids' yards, but had forgotten about it. It is such a great idea, and I love all the positive messages it sends. It's just fantastic, and I'm so pleased. We took her picture with her sign, of course. She wanted shots with her to the left, to the right, and behind. She wants to know how long we can leave it out there. I think it'll end up in her room eventually.
I just think that if they're gonna put a sign like that in a kindergartner's lawn, they should at least leave behind a box of tissues for the mommy. Or valium.
Boy, where they right! We had letters from the kindergarten teachers, letters from the specialty teachers (art, music, Spanish), letters from the principle. We had forms galore (health and medical, emergency contact, emergency dismissal arrangements, hot lunch program) and calendars up the wazoo (playground duty, general school calendar, lunch calendar). We have fees for this, that, and the other, and a separate check is required for each. I cleared off the couch, got my my favorite pen and my checkbook, and set to work. It was really quite manageable, once I got into it. And a little frightening with the realization of how independent Zozo will be. Once she hits those school doors, she's expected to take care of herself. I won't be delivering her to her room, chatting with her teacher on a daily basis, and picking her up from that room. She'll have to either take her lunch or show her card to buy her meal, instead of just sitting down at a table in her classroom and having her food served.
Our commitment level goes up, too. We are expected to report for playground duty three times throughout the school year. That's not too bad, but it's obvious they take it seriously. We have to submit a $100 check post-dated for the end of the school year. We show up for our three turns, they shred the check. We miss a day, they cash it. We can switch with other parents if we need to, or we can call a sub, to whom we'll pay $30. Holy smokes.
We found out which teacher she has (Mrs. K.) and who will be in her room (11 boys, 9 girls...which made M scowl of course). Zoe ran around the music room with her new friends, and we had to pry her out from under the risers to leave. It's going to be great.
After we got home and farted around for a few hours, we ran to the hardware store (yes, the boy is working on Christmas!) and lunch. Upon arrival home, I spotted a yard sign in front of our house. It has the school logo and says, "WELCOME TO _____________" with the school name. (For privacy reasons, I'm not posting her school.) Someone had also drawn her name on the front with a flowery circle around it.
"Look, Zozo! It's a sign just for you! It says welcome to your new school!" She squealed, delighted, and M beamed. And then I burst into tears. Again.
Good grief. I really hope this passes after Thursday. It's getting ridiculous. It always comes when I least expect it. I have seen her school place signs in other kids' yards, but had forgotten about it. It is such a great idea, and I love all the positive messages it sends. It's just fantastic, and I'm so pleased. We took her picture with her sign, of course. She wanted shots with her to the left, to the right, and behind. She wants to know how long we can leave it out there. I think it'll end up in her room eventually.
I just think that if they're gonna put a sign like that in a kindergartner's lawn, they should at least leave behind a box of tissues for the mommy. Or valium.
Labels: daily life, musings, zoe
posted by Amy at 2:55 PM
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