Back to School!

Man, this is different the second time around. The first time I had a kid start Kindergarten, I was a hot mess. There were tears shed and a few little flutters of anxiety watching her shove off for the first time. But with Carolina, things were different. Like so much that she does, this transition to the big first day was a breeze. Yes, it helped that she was in pre-K full day last year (as opposed to the 2.5 hours Elisa had), and she'd already gotten used to some of the routines from watching her big sis walk the halls at AOC. But really, it was also true that she just rolled with it in a different way. The only hiccup being her summer cold that struck after our big roller skating party on Sunday. She had a slight fever that night, only to wake up happy and hungry on Monday morning. We made it to meet the teachers that afternoon and all seemed on track for her first day of Kindergarten and Elisa's first day of 3rd grade. But then the fever returned and we were saying goodbye to only one child on the first day of school. What the hell? 

So happy to see these three amigos from AMB in the same class!

These 3rd graders know what's up

After our meet the teacher blitz, some ice cream in Astoria

Sick day starting K! :(

But her 2nd first day was a success

I shoved her into the building a little after 9 a.m and she needed no hand holding

Finally a synchronized drop off on our third day. I think this is going to work out just fine. Yes, having two kids together in the same school is feeling like a huge accomplishment. And I suppose after waiting 8 years for this reality it is! I'll take it. Hopefully these two will be each other's support in all those little schoolyard interactions. That they are only down the hall from each other is kind of cute. My big girl and her little sis just starting out. Going to miss their faces every day, all day, but I think I'll adjust. Oh yes, September is my favorite month for so many reasons. 

Artsy stuff

Almost forgot about this post sitting around waiting to see the light of day. These were little bits of things Elisa has made at home or school. They had an art auction before the last day of class and Elisa was honored with two pieces hanging in it. I liked the concept, but was a bit disappointed that not all the kids had something represented. I don't think that made a lot of sense in such a small school and there had to be parents showing up that were a little confused and upset to not see their kid's work. But anyway, the idea was a nice one. I think we managed to "win" one of her pieces which was a butterfly.  Now I just need to get some paint up on her walls and hang some of these little nuggets. This summer should bring a redo of Elisa and Carolina's bedroom once our crumbling wall is fixed. So hopefully, we can incorporate some of their artwork to spruce the place up a bit.  Ms. Judy, the Art teacher, was a real guiding force for Elisa this year and I think she will definitely miss her next year since she's off to greener pastures. Hopefully, we continue to see Elisa expressing herself through her art. It was one of her best subjects along with choir and PE. But more on that report card soon...

Kinder-status

This week I attended Curriculum Night at Elisa's school.  I don't remember having this as a kid, but basically it was a nice way to meet her teacher more in depth and hear what they are studying. It kind of helped fill in the gaps (since Elisa tells me nothing usually) and show me how their days are arranged.  From looking at the class schedule, I can tell there is a good mix of subjects (Social Studies, Literacy, Art, Music, Chorus, Science, Story, Math, Library/Tech, and Choice), and they begin every day with a Morning Meeting. As her teacher Ms. Zuckerman explained, they are really working on building their classroom community with games and name recognition and fun activities, and she said that the kids have really started to show signs of this and are using each others' names more now.  The fact that they have two full-time teachers in the class of 26 kids makes me feel like there's also a good sense of direction and authority to keep the peace. She mentioned a few times that the kids are so excited by the letters they are learning right now, and I have seen this with Elisa during the homework assignments. Yes, we have homework. In Kindergarten. But honestly, it's only 5-10 minutes of work followed by a suggested 20 minutes of reading. So I feel lucky that this school has a very age-appropriate concept of what kids should be doing after hours. She might have been a little reluctant at first, but within a few minutes, Elisa was happy to show me how well she could make her letters or color the pictures. I think it's good practice for the future when homework really will be independent and have consequences.  For now, though, I just like having an excuse to sit and talk to her at the table. I think we both do.  

These were pictures of work I saw in the classroom and hallways at school:

As Ms. Zuckerman explained, we will likely see things from their work in the Art room that are much more nuanced and creative than their other efforts. She said it's because they are learning to sit and concentrate and really observe objects before they draw them. And she was right. When I saw Elisa's drawing of a lion hanging outside the classroom, I didn't think it could be hers. She never draws like that at home. But it was and when I asked her about it later, she beamed with pride when she described how to make the tail and the lion's mane. She is learning so much these days about herself and what she's capable of, and I'm so happy for her. And likewise with the bus, we are completely happy with the bus schedule and operation to date. The morning driver is almost always pulling up at 7:41 a.m. and the afternoon drop off might be a tad later than 4:17 p.m. but that's okay. It's working out well and I couldn't have predicted how smoothly it would all be going just 3 weeks into things.

(First night of homework and Elisa and I weren't sure what to think.)

So that's it. Kindergarten has begun in earnest and it's required lots of little adjustments but nothing crazy so far. I feel enormously lucky that we have had good friends to make this transition with, but mostly, that it has been a soft landing at a school we've grown to like more and more. No place is perfect and no method is the best, but for us for right now, the fact that Elisa likes school and is excited when Monday morning comes around is a good thing. She'll even show you how she walked down the halls when she got to be line leader.  It was fabulous. 

Big Yellow Bus

Today was the first day for our school bus route, and boy, was Elisa ready. She went to bed last night and just before I kissed her she said, "I'm so excited about the bus tomorrow!"  Of course, there were a few last minute jitters as we walked to our stop this morning. She wanted to know if I was coming on the bus too....um, yeah...about that. I realized only too late that I hadn't really explained how this works. But fortunately, after hearing I would stay put, she was a little sad but otherwise fine. Having a friend at our stop probably helped soothe some fears too.  So we waited for about 10 minutes (nothing like being early the first day) and several buses passed us on their way to other schools. It felt a little anticlimactic when it finally did show up. The doors flew open, we took another step forward and then she was on. I barely had time to capture it for posterity. The look on her face is exactly that mixture of nerves and excitement and please-mom-leave-me-alone-now that I was expecting. But it still seems like such a big thing for her to be off and on her own. She did great. And I will be there in 8 hours when she comes home on the bus to greet her. What a wild ride for us both. 

Kindergarten begins!

Well, shit. I said I wasn't going to cry. I wasn't going to be one of those mothers, and then this happened. My firstborn put on a uniform and went to Kindergarten this morning and...cue the tears.  I felt like such a lame cliche. I was seeing the years flash before my eyes and this little girl who made me a mom was becoming a student. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I was overcome with emotion for her or for me. We are both facing a major lifestyle change in the coming months and sometimes I feel giddy with excitement thinking about it and sometimes I mourn the life I've had for the past 5 years. It's a lot to process, and I know I'm just beginning. Today went exceptionally well considering I didn't break into a full-fledged sobfest and Elisa held it together while I hugged and kissed her and then scooted out of the classroom. There were so many parents still milling around that I wasn't sure they were ever going to leave, but I knew I couldn't be the last. Better to get it over with fast and be on my way. Kind of like how I hate saying goodbyes at an airport--just drop me at the curb and let the journey begin!

(I think this is about where I lost it. Birdie and Elisa have been hanging out for over 4 years now. Seeing their hands entwined on their first big day in school was, well, a bit too much for this sappy mom. I was so happy to see they have each other.)

And speaking of journeys, what a wild one we have been on with the whole Kindergarten selection process. It's probably true in most big cities that there are lots of downsides to living in a high density population where schools and resources aren't the same as in the burbs. Everyone wants the best for their child, but it's difficult to know what that is exactly.  Throughout this past 8 months of registrations and assessments, lotteries and notifications, I have struggled to stay true to my own goals for Elisa's education. But today I saw that all that after all the hoopla, what really matters is that she is in a classroom with her peers. Nothing more, nothing less. It was all much simpler than I made it.  Of course, it allayed so many fears for us both that there were some familiar faces amongst the group.  Seeing the instant rapport she had with Birdie and Skylar yesterday at the Open House was the kind of thing that makes it easier to picture them there together in the classroom without feeling like she's alone in a sea of terrified kids.

There were so many muted faces today as the kids all clung to their parents, and I watched Elisa looking around for signs that things would be okay. Surprisingly, she didn't get too emotional when I told her I was going to leave. Sometimes I take it for granted that she knows what will happen next, but today I made it a point of telling her a few times that we would stay for a few minutes and then go home. She knew that there was no lunch at school today so maybe that made it easier too, since she'd be home in time to eat and nap like normal. Who knows, but I have to say I was really impressed with her courage. Which is not to say that she didn't look miserable. She was so sweetly pathetic telling me she was going to miss me and that she was "kind of scared" that I almost lost it right then and there. But I didn't. Somehow I found a way to suppress my own well of emotion long enough to get the heck out of there.  And then like a cloud passing over, I felt better.  Hearing that she comforted her friends when they got upset was great. I think deep down Elisa is a nurturer and she shows that when it really matters.  This year is just beginning and I know it will show me new insights into Elisa's personality and her take on the world. I can't wait to see where she's going, as I hold on ever tighter to the memories of that little baby girl I brought home five years ago. 

UPK Graduation

Among several highlights this week was the Stepping Up ceremony at Little Friends, Elisa's preschool.  I'd already seen several other kids from our playgroup sporting caps and gowns for their preschool graduations, and now it was our turn.  Even the use of the word "graduation" seemed kind of misleading. It seemed too official. Nacho wondered aloud if we were going to have to go through this hoopla every year for the foreseeable future. But no. In fact, I think there's something unique and worthwhile about this ceremony. It was really about the transition we've been in for the past few months. Next fall, we will have a child in Kindergarten in the public school system.  Our yearly schedule will rise and fall with its holidays and time off, and Elisa will start to have her own daily routine without us.  I can't even imagine that now, and yet we're only 8 weeks (and one vacation) away from it.  So the time was right to celebrate the end of preschool and UPK and look forward to what's coming next...     

For months, we've been caught up in the Kinder Craze that seems an unavoidable pitfall of this city's placement process.  First there was G&T testing, then our zoned elementary school registration, followed by charter school tours and lottery applications, and finally the waiting game to see how it would all shake out.  But by mid-June we had jumped the last hurdle--the Dual Language program testing at P.S. 150--and we waited for the last piece of the puzzle.  She didn't get a spot. Not even a letter saying no. Nothing. In the end there was no big decision to make.  So we will take the windfall that fell in our lap--the acceptance at the only charter school we got into.  Elisa will attend Academy of the City Charter School in Woodside next fall and I'm very hopeful that it will be the right fit.  With 45 minutes a day each of recess and nap/quiet time, I feel like she will have a softer landing into this brave, new world.  Most of all, I think they will encourage her to love school and learning.  She will have a handful of friends attending as well, which sweetens the deal to be sure. But truly, I don't think she's ready for the one-size-fits-all agenda of a traditional Ged Ed Kindergarten, and she obviously didn't pass the muster for the academic rat race of the specialized programs. And to be honest, that was at times hard to reconcile.  I know Elisa is bright and social and linguistically capable. I wanted her to be offered the moon if she wanted it.  But in the end, what happened was that we got something we weren't even aware existed 6 months ago--a Kindergarten that seems to allow kids to play and develop in due time.  And for Elisa, I think she'll need this coming year to get her bearings, and I want her to have the space and time to gain the skills she'll need for the rest of her scholastic life. Because what's the rush?  When I look back over this process, I realize that as crazy and frustrating as it was as a parent to go through, I'm mostly glad that she's remained totally oblivious to it all because it really has so little bearing on her future. These kids are 4 years old, going on 5--not 18.  We have so many more years of trying to guide her through school and homework, applications and tests.  This is only the beginning of her journey.  I'm ready to move on, and so is she.