Kindergarten Camp

Last Thursday, Lauren and Gracie picked out a favorite outfit (the "new" one that the Easter Bunny brought), put on their backpacks and helped carry all of their supplies to school. 

Their new school had kindergarten camp, where they got to have a "dry run" on a typical school day. We met in the lunch room for orientation, and then the Class of 2025 was called down -- The Price Is Right-style -- by the principal, to line up and go to class.  They met the music teacher and the physical education teacher.  They were shown their assigned seats in their classroom, and they did some work.  Importantly, they were shown how to navigate through the lunch line, and the big finale was some time on the playground.  I arrived in the car pool line in time to see Lauren and Gracie racing with the rest of their class for the swings.  They both scored swings, having been "schooled" in K4 on how to nab a swing.

Finally, we all practiced the afternoon car pool line.  William George, who loved drop off/pick up last year, is going to be saddened to realize we have to drop off and pick up from the car.  By saddened, I mean he will be livid, and there will probably be much screaming from our car. 

Kindergarten camp has us prepared for today, the first day of school.  We will put on backpacks and grab lunchboxes for the first official day.  Woot!

The girls selected their owl backpacks, in part, because they obtained some intel that their classroom would be decorated with owls (it was!).  Gracie returned her original backpack selection and exchanged for owls, also.  Although our experience with the public school system for the last two years allowed the use of any backpack, we have a sneaky suspicion that this school requires either the mesh or clear backpacks.  We suspect this because we were expressly told that was the policy 3-4 times.  Since that policy was not listed on any of the registration information, supply lists or the camp information, we may choose to have not heard that for a while. 

Next, our school has a health and wellness policy, and that's a good thing. While we pride ourselves on trying to have healthy eating habits, Gracie is someone who needs a chocolate brownie in her lunch box every day.  Specifically, she needs one half of a Little Debbie brownie.  As someone who needs a daily Diet Coke, I do not judge.  Long story short, sugary treats and other "junk foods" are banned at this school, i.e., no brownies.  I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that lunch room when Gracie realizes she does not have a brownie in her lunch box. 

Gracie and Lauren are unaware of these policies, and we are going to try to gently lower the boom (or in the case of the backpack, wait for some authority figure to tap us on the shoulder and insist on enforcing the policy) in the coming days/weeks.  We are hopeful she will be too distracted during the first few days to stage much of a protest.  Otherwise, she may organize OES (operation elementary school) and boycott the entire process. 

Wish us luck today.