More Travels...

Due to popular demand, I'll be regularly updating this blog. (And by popular demand I mean the ego-boosting comments here and the cheerleading by one certain person on my Y!M list.) So if anyone has me hooked up to RSS feed, this is your fair warning: If you don't want to read anymore from me, unsubscribe NOW! And if you do, well this is just your lucky day, isn't it?

Because really I travel a lot. Everyday I get into the PerkyMomMobile and go somewhere. That's what cute and perky Mommies do.

Today it was the first day of school

Now, I have never truly experienced a classic first day of school as a parent. We have had, until this year, a four-track year round system in place. What this meant was that in July, 75% of the school had their first day of school. Then in August, the biggest "track" went on vacation and our track came to school.

For two tracks, it was the 29th day of school - no big deal. For our track, it was the first. 

In other words, it was a big deal for about 1/3 of the school that was in session, which amounted to only 25% of the entire school population (Are you following the math?) So our first days of school, until this year, have been relatively calm. A lot of kids were just being dropped off like any other day but our little segment of the population was meeting our teachers for the first time.

Today was the first day that every single kid at the school has EVER been there at the same time. And it was the first time that my children and I were approaching the school on everyone's first day! Can you say Chaos?

The traffic on the streets leading up to the school was the worst I've ever seen it. I could not figure how I would get to the school before the first bell rang. Fortunately, around the corner from the school there is a small park with a little parking lot. Rather than stay in line to get to the school, I turned into the parking lot and parked there. We walked the block to school and yes, we were walking past the line of cars I'd just pulled out of to get there.

It is my belief that as an active member of the school PTA and a regular in the school office, the school administration will not assign my children to the notorious teachers. This is only logical. Many principals will not entertain parent requests for classroom assignments and I can appreciate this for the most part. There are reasons to keep students separated from each other and it truly is impossible to please every parent. There won't be enough room to put EVERY child in the most popular teacher's classroom. Or by moving children around to make one parent happy, the result will make another parent very unhappy. Administrators have a lot of issues to balance.

I have never wanted to be one of "Those" parents. I don't want to be the parent who the staff rolls their eyes about behind my back. I've seen those parents. I've rolled my eyes at those parents. There is a delicate balance between being a helpful presence at the school and being a pain in the butt nag. My goal has always been to find that balance. I want to be a parent who the teachers and staff can count on to be supportive and helpful and yet the bottom line is that my priority must always be my children's best interest. I want to be a parent who recognizes that my children are not always perfect and I will support the school when the school needs to apply appropriate discipline to my children and in my role as advocate for my child, I will monitor the discipline to make sure it is indeed appropriate.

I have been known to go to the school and say: I am not challenging the discipline you have handed down to my son because he deserves it but he has provided me with information that I do not think you have. Sure enough, the school did not know all of the information and yes, my son received an additional consequence but in doing so, the other students involved did not get away with beating up my kid. 

Likewise, when the class bully targeted my son especially hard last winter, I was documenting my son's reports daily, typing them up, and sending hard copies to the principal, vice principal and teacher each and every time he had a story to report. And the bully's behavior rather promptly adjusted itself.

It's always interesting to say the least.

So keeping in mind all these issues of balance, support and advocacy, I candidly told the vice principal last year that I was confident that my son would not be placed in a specific teacher's classroom because the administration would not want to deal with me if he were. This was not a threat. It was not a challenge or a promise. It was more of a matter of fact statement. 

Sure enough, when I arrived at the school this morning, I found the PTA president, treasurer and my neighbor who's youngest of three is in his final year at the school. All three had nothing but wonderful things to say about SBS's teacher this year. Huzzah! My worry was pointless. I wish I hadn't doubted his first grade teacher. I knew in my heart she would take care of him.

Meanwhile, there is nothing more frustrating than idiots in school parking lots. I found out why the line outside the school was so long. The IDIOTS had PARKED their cars in the driveways of the parking lot. Several years ago, a teacher at the school where my mother taught was permanently disabled in a parking lot accident. It is a miracle that more children are not hurt in school parking lot accidents. People are IDIOTS. For those of you who get frustrated seeing idiot parents in theme parks, do not spend any time near a school. Trust me on this one. It will drive your common sense meters through the roof.

And what makes all of this worse is that these are the examples they're giving their children. Their children see them breaking the rules in the parking lot and hear the announcements over the PA system asking their parents to please move their cars. "Oh but we don't have to listen to the rules." BAH!

This afternoon I will go and introduce myself to SBS's teacher. I have already laid down some groundwork with MG's teacher last year when he won the school science fair. She has been anticipating having the little genius in her class for months now. I like her very much. She's very down to earth and her students have historically loved her.

In the meantime, I will be missing Back To School night on Thursday as I will be.... traveling to the metropolis of Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you dare to read about a Mommy out in the big world all alone - with a bunch of other mommy salespeople, access to hotel sports bars and only 20 minutes from the Mall of America. Woo-Hoo! And away we GOOOOOOO!