Kelly Rippa texted Ryan Seacrest the other day:
I'm at back to school night...UGH!
Apparently, her child's teacher had written a very complicated math problem on the board and she couldn't solve it. As a teacher, my experience with back to school night was always fun. It was an opportunity to meet and greet the parents and give them more opportunities to bridge school to home, etc..
Last night, we had our first at O’s new elementary school. As a parent, I had an enjoyable time at back to school night, as did my husband. We took pictures of O's artwork hanging in the halls. She had drawn a family portrait and a self portrait. The faces all had big smiles, which reinforced her happiness in life. Thank God, can you imagine if she had drawn mommy with a wine glass?
As we ventured into the classroom, we said our hello's to Mrs. M. We found O's spot at a table and her work laying there. One sheet had a fill in the blank exercise: “I like the _____ in my classroom.” She had filled in the blank to say "TV" and had drawn a picture of it, a black square. Well now that is interesting, but who can argue with a five year old. I mean, this is the same girl that likes polka dot pants with holes in them, glittered striped shirts, Halloween socks, shoes that light up called Twinkle Toes, and let us not forget neon flower headbands. However, for me the TV in her classroom reminded me of the TV my father won as top salesman back in 1982.
I mentioned her choice to Mrs. M and she smiled and said that she too thought it an interesting choice as the TV had never been on this year, moreover, in her five years here. I made a note to ask O about her choice later. On the same paper there was a blank space below to draw what the parent likes best about her classroom. I drew the morning message and Mrs. M. The morning message because I don't have to do it anymore (retired teacher here), and Mrs. M. because she does it so well. :) Don't get me wrong, I saw the need for the morning message and loved what it taught the kids in my class. However, my co-teacher and I often ran out of things to write about and it took time to write it. So much so that the kids who could read in our classroom enjoyed pointing out that we hadn't changed the morning message very much from the previous day. If they can read and write, then let them craft the morning message I once thought. Then I got my latte and back to the professional, creative teacher I was and picked up my game. Although, we did them, a couple of times it was groundhog day. Imagine their astonishment when it actually was groundhog day! We gave groundhog day a whole new meaning.
Using the promethium board, Mrs. M. began her powerpoint presentation. My favorite quote, "I see kindergarten as the gateway to your child's education." Thanks Mrs. M. She spoke about the programs being used in math and language arts and how the programs are weaved into the curriculum of science, social studies and geography. She displayed the class schedule and invited us to join the class for lunch any day of the week. She explained the lunch process and the lunch cards. One parent asked if the lunch card can also be used for breakfast as his son had mentioned he had eaten breakfast at school that day. She confirmed he had. As long as one has money on their lunch/ breakfast card, they can eat. Can they use their lunch/ breakfast cards at the school spirit shop too? What about the country club? Can I borrow O's school lunch/breakfast card when I make my next run to the wine store? For those of you who don't know me, allow me to introduce myself, I'm the "WINE" lady.
After the presentation she directed us to the sign up sheets asking for volunteers. Of course I was the over achiever, volunteering for every opportunity I could have to spend more time in the classroom with O. One of my girlfriends had said she had volunteered to help with lunch in her daughter's kindergarten class and was disgusted with all the “snotty noses and germs she felt like she was being exposed to.” I told her she would get used to it. It is the same thing at home or in the office, just one of those things we don’t talk about enough. Why is that?
As a former teacher, I became accustomed to most illnesses, unless it was the "green elevens". My co-teacher, JJ, had coined that phrase for the kids who's green snot hung in those two verticle spaces between the nose and the mouth. In that case, then we, or often their friends, would send them to the Kleenex box. If they seemed warm, we'd send them to the nurse. One day, a little boy had overheard JJ and I, so when the nurse asked him why he was in her office, he told her he had the "green elevens'. It really should be in the medical books.
The evening ended with a brief hallway conversation with the principal. There was some discussion about the after school language immersion programs. However, I knew I liked this principal when he also brought up the unnecessary need for over scheduling, especially referencing kindergartners. Cautioning us as parents to really pay attention to the signs a child gives on how much play and down time is necessary. I can't speak for O, but with my wine I need A LOT of down time!
As we were walking out, I ran into the counselor. Not for the wine. You may remember her, as I referred to her in a past post when I had talked to her about O's issues with the bus. I thanked her for her help and follow up. She asked me how things were going and I told her basically what I had posted yesterday. She said she has been checking in on O. She said she seems to be adjusting well. That O's always listening and engaged when she stops by Mrs. M's classroom. She said, "I checked on her yesterday and as I came around the corner O was sitting in Mrs. M's lap being comforted. It takes a while to adjust to the long days." As the tears began to form in my eyes, I thanked her and said goodbye.
Wiping my tears away, I ran to the car and texted Seacrest. This is what my text said:
KINDERGARTEN SUCKS!
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