First Day of School

Last Tuesday Christian started Kindergarten at Birchwood Elementary, among the perks (in his opinion) of public school:

1) Hot lunches (this opinion will change shortly)

2) 3 hours instead of 9 1/2 everyday

3) Riding you bike to school (and getting to use the bike lock)

4) Seeing his buddy Diego who was at Blossom with him for several years.

I took him in the Friday before he started to fill out all the papers and the office informed me that they need two days to prepare for a new student, so he would start on Tuesday. Fine, whatever. So on Tuesday we show up in the office at 8:30 because I don't actually know what time school starts (but I'm assuming he's in the AM class because the principal thought that would be okay and so I guessed 8:30 would be reasonable). When we show up the office lady is like, "Oh yeah. I was supposed to call you yesterday." So much for taking those two days to "prepare" for the new student. She showed us to his room, and introduced us to his teacher. Well, actually substitute teacher. His teacher is on jury duty for two weeks.

Luckily, Christian totally went with the flow. We looked around and headed out to recess. When I came to pick him up at 11:35 (before the optional lunch) we went with the class to see how the lunch routine works. Well if that little stinker didn't weasel his way through the lunch line and get himself a hot lunch! Apparently all the kids stay for lunch, and basically all eat hot lunch (it's a Title 1 school, I was informed that they all "qualify" even though that's supposed to be confidential). So in order to be one of the cool kids, you have to get hot lunch.

On Wednesday morning I actually dropped him off at the curb (after explaining in detail the expectations of going off to school- you must come around to my window and kiss me goodbye!) And he trotted off into the big world and big playground in search of his new "best friends" Reese and Miles.

Now that the shine of the new school has worn off a bit (it's been a whole week, so it's not so sparkly anymore) I have to say, and please don't anybody get all offended, but this is such a crock and waste of time. His teacher has been on jury duty the whole time, so he's had four different teachers. There has not been one shred of curriculum related material sent home from the school or from his teacher (honestly I don't think they have a curriculum) and they really haven't done a darn thing in class (not that they can in 2 1/2 hours with substitute teachers). But how on earth are these kids learning anything?

Christian is quickly getting wise to the charms of hot lunch. Last Thursday on "hot dog day" (the same as at Blossom) he came home all disenfranchised because "They only gave me one hot dog! Miss Linda gives me 2 and a half!" So for $2.50, he may be one of the cool kids, but he needs to eat as soon as he gets home (at 12:15). And it's certainly not the home cooking he's used to. In one week he's decided chicken burger and hamburger days equate to brown bagging it. Oh, and "the Ranch at school is yucky, so can I bring some from home on pizza day and chicken nugget day?" What have I gotten myself into?