Kindergarten is going FABULOUSLY...even with it's being the first day! I got Cam up and dressed (He whined all night last night. Don't really know if it was nerves, or if he was really in pain like he claimed!) He was so defiant, but seemed ready to go to school. We got dressed, and then we were off on our walk to the "big" school. (It's just down the street...takes all of 2 minutes to get to the front door of the school!)
Anyway, as we started off, I noticed my visiting teaching partner walking her daughter to school as well. I thought, "This will be cool...having our kids together!" We walked to the classroom and Cam kept asking me if they really needed him at school. He's always been an inquisitive child, and when he asks us why daddy has to go to work our response is, "Because they need him there." So he thinks that school is his work, and that they need him there! I reassured him that they DID need him and we walked into the room which was FILLED with students, parents, and aides. I saw some kids who clung to their parents for dear life, and others (like my son) who found their seat and waved good-bye to their parents...all grown up! We dropped of the community supplies (aka: school supplies) then we hung up empty back packs and found our way to the school's library. Most of us were BRAND new as kindergarten students' parents. I think MOST of the kids are the oldest ones and that's why we all were new to this. We talked with the principal (still don't know if I like her or not...), filled out forms, and made sure that our kids were ready to continue their start into kindergarten.
We actually didn't do too much, so after the "open house" was over we all sat in the hallway and waited for our students to finish up their evaluations. I don't know if I explained it very well, but what the deal is with the unknowing which session they're in is this: the kids were tested today to see where they place on early reading tests. Those tests were evaluated to see what percentile they're in, and then the classes were arranged with equal numbers of kids who are high on the scale and low on the scale...to make for a more BALANCED class.
When we were all crowded into the library I checked to see if I had turned in the proper papers for Cam to be in school and the secretary showed me the paper. Next to Cam's name it had "AM." She asked me if I still wanted him in the AM session, and I agreed. She told me that unless something major happened, he would most likely be in that session since I had requested it. PHEW!! What a relief that was!!
I ended up talking with some other parents and we all were nervous for our kids and hoping they were all getting along well. After a very LONG hour (time really does change when you are anxious!) the kids came out, found their parents and backpacks and the day was done. I talked with both the principal and the teacher to tell them that the in-class aide situation was in the works, but that the aide couldn't start until NEXT week. They both thought that was okay, and reassured me that he would be just fine this first week without an aide. This week will be mostly spent on further testing of the kids to see what they know and what needs to be worked on. I can't believe all the stuff kindergartners have to do now! I just remember coloring, playing with toys, and having fun...now they work, work, work! I certainly hope Cam makes it through all that he's expected to get through! (Can you tell I'm WAY more nervous about this than Cam is!?)
Overall I wasn't that worried about him leaving...just him being left behind the other kids. Having a child who isn't developmentally up to date with his peers is hard!! Especially for someone like me who is so perfectionistic. I guess I just have to let him learn and grow at his own pace and not worry too much about it. But it's going to be hard!
I did get the news I wanted...he WILL be in the morning session!! YAY! Now we'll just have to figure out the babysitting situation. More stress to come!!
And now, as a special treat for reading my extra long blog, that cartoon I TRIED to scan two weeks ago, but now all colored and pretty...and READABLE!! :)
Anyway, as we started off, I noticed my visiting teaching partner walking her daughter to school as well. I thought, "This will be cool...having our kids together!" We walked to the classroom and Cam kept asking me if they really needed him at school. He's always been an inquisitive child, and when he asks us why daddy has to go to work our response is, "Because they need him there." So he thinks that school is his work, and that they need him there! I reassured him that they DID need him and we walked into the room which was FILLED with students, parents, and aides. I saw some kids who clung to their parents for dear life, and others (like my son) who found their seat and waved good-bye to their parents...all grown up! We dropped of the community supplies (aka: school supplies) then we hung up empty back packs and found our way to the school's library. Most of us were BRAND new as kindergarten students' parents. I think MOST of the kids are the oldest ones and that's why we all were new to this. We talked with the principal (still don't know if I like her or not...), filled out forms, and made sure that our kids were ready to continue their start into kindergarten.
We actually didn't do too much, so after the "open house" was over we all sat in the hallway and waited for our students to finish up their evaluations. I don't know if I explained it very well, but what the deal is with the unknowing which session they're in is this: the kids were tested today to see where they place on early reading tests. Those tests were evaluated to see what percentile they're in, and then the classes were arranged with equal numbers of kids who are high on the scale and low on the scale...to make for a more BALANCED class.
When we were all crowded into the library I checked to see if I had turned in the proper papers for Cam to be in school and the secretary showed me the paper. Next to Cam's name it had "AM." She asked me if I still wanted him in the AM session, and I agreed. She told me that unless something major happened, he would most likely be in that session since I had requested it. PHEW!! What a relief that was!!
I ended up talking with some other parents and we all were nervous for our kids and hoping they were all getting along well. After a very LONG hour (time really does change when you are anxious!) the kids came out, found their parents and backpacks and the day was done. I talked with both the principal and the teacher to tell them that the in-class aide situation was in the works, but that the aide couldn't start until NEXT week. They both thought that was okay, and reassured me that he would be just fine this first week without an aide. This week will be mostly spent on further testing of the kids to see what they know and what needs to be worked on. I can't believe all the stuff kindergartners have to do now! I just remember coloring, playing with toys, and having fun...now they work, work, work! I certainly hope Cam makes it through all that he's expected to get through! (Can you tell I'm WAY more nervous about this than Cam is!?)
Overall I wasn't that worried about him leaving...just him being left behind the other kids. Having a child who isn't developmentally up to date with his peers is hard!! Especially for someone like me who is so perfectionistic. I guess I just have to let him learn and grow at his own pace and not worry too much about it. But it's going to be hard!
I did get the news I wanted...he WILL be in the morning session!! YAY! Now we'll just have to figure out the babysitting situation. More stress to come!!
And now, as a special treat for reading my extra long blog, that cartoon I TRIED to scan two weeks ago, but now all colored and pretty...and READABLE!! :)
6 comments:
Whoop-de-doo! I'm the first one to comment on your blog entry! ANYhoo... thanks for giving us the lowdown on Cam's whole Kindergarten spiel. I still can't get over the fact that they waited so late to do all of this stuff for you. I've already had Jasmine tested, been to an open house, school tour, blah blah blah, and blah... all before the end of the last school year. I guess they just do stuff different in different states... and in different school districts, for that matter. I hope things turn out great for Cam in his first year at the "big" school. I can relate to the stress and worry you must be feeling about having a developmentally delayed child in with mainstream kids. Good luck to your family.
Oh, and don't let me forget to mention that I'm glad Cam's first day of Kindergarten went well for YOU. :)
Wonderful on the morning session! Sitting will work out too. Think no stress. :) Hope things with the princepal go good-- maybe nerves on all parts.. I hope! ;)
Yay for monrning kindergarten!!! I haven't talked to Jen yet to see how Skyler's first day in first grade was, but I'm sure he did great. Last year at kindergarten, he too was waving goodbye to his mom telling her that it was okay and she could go home. All that work, work, work you mentioned-we have NCLB (No Child Left Behind) to thank for that. On paper, it sounds like a great plan, in the ideal world where all students are scholastically, socially, and emotionally at the same level as the next. I was talking to one of the kindergarten teachers in my district at one of my last ESL classes and I couldn't believe all the things they expect a kindergartener to do when they move onto 1st grade. It's so crazy.
Well, my goodness, our Cam's in kindergarten. Hope he'll enjoy his class and have a great year!
Yay for Cam. I am so happy that things are going well for him. Kindergarten is my favorite.
It is surprising how much they learn. I cannont believe how much my own came out of there knowing.
I'm glad that he got the morning session! I'm glad that the day went well!
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