Friday, August 31, 2007

The Open House

Last night was Kelton's school's Open House and it actually mostly sucked. The teacher was flat with ZERO personality. There will be 23 kids in his class, apparently with NO teachers helper. Though honestly I guess I don't know that since we were given NO information. I don't know, as a parent who has a child entering the school system for the first time I had expected information. Maybe a "Hello and welcome to your kindergarten class room! I'm Mrs. FlubbityFlew and we are going to have so much fun together. We're going to do lots of fun art projects, we'll learn some new songs, play some fun instruments, learn to read AND write! Now when you arrive on Tuesday morning I'll be standing right outside the door. You will hang your jackets and backpacks right there on those hooks and then I'll show you to your seat. Once all the kids are here, our fun will start! Does anyone have any questions?"

I mean seriously - how hard would that have been????????????

I walked away from the open house knowing only one thing for certain: I'm even more uncertain about this whole school stuff and I think Tuesday is going to be even more difficult than I ever expected. Honestly, after the day camp experience, I was totally prepared to love this part. Kelton and I both know what to expect and we were ready. I can't speak for him, but I am no longer ready to turn my baby over to someone.

There are no toys or any warm and fuzzy feeling in the room. It's bleak and ...........sad. No bright colors. No happy bulletin boards. No colorful banners on the wall or a banner of the alphabet strung across the blackboard. No comfortable "circle time" area. No colorful bins for the supplies to go into. The room looked like it was ready to be turned into a storage room. It is NOT what I expected.

Feeling like throwing up, Dakota and I took the kids and wandered around the school. We found the library. It's ok - not great but ok. We stayed there until I had my wits about me again (all the while not letting on to Kelton that both moms were upset and trying to sort it all out).

Kelton and I met someone and he told her he was starting school. She asked what teacher so we told her. She said "Oh you are going to have so much fun in her class!" Kelton said "Yeah - I am." and walked away. I turned back and said "Have you had a child in her class?" She said no but that she was a regular volunteer at the school. I just looked at her - imploring her with my eyes for more information. She gave it to me. She said "You know - when I first met her I thought she was a very mean person but once she gets to know you she is really a warm, kind and loving person. She is really amazing with the kids. Honest, she is." I thanked her for the information and returned to share it with Dakota.

We returned to the room but the line to meet the teacher was super long and it was about a trillion degrees in there. We went outside again and Kelton decided to buy a school flag. Of course Kaylen needed one, too. Kelton was ok with stuff but he wanted to go home because things were a bit overwhelming. I just wanted to run home and lock my kids safely in the house forever. Dakota wanted to be sure we stayed to introduce ourselves to let her know that Kelton has two moms.

We ended up doing it Dakota's way. Dakota introduced us and Kelton interjected "I have two moms. Two moms. No dad. Just two moms." Matter of fact, that boy is. The teacher said "That's great! I bet lots of people wish they had two moms." so hopefully things will be fine in that area. She seemed completely uncomfortable with talking with all the people and meeting all the kids. I had warning bells going off everywhere! Mostly not in the teachers direction - more in the direction of the way the room was (not) set up and the general feelings I was picking up. Was this the right place for my son? More and more I wished I had been able to go to the open house in May but we were still in Seattle (it was the week between my mom dying and the funeral) and completely unable to attend.

We took the kids to the playground because Kelton wanted to see it. Dakota and I were talking out of earshot of the kids and she said "I want to go talk with someone about this." I told her I'd stay with the kids and off she went.

Dakota went and talked with the principal and basically said "Ok - after seeing the school and meeting the teacher I'm just wondering if you can ease my fears and convince me this is the right place for my son." (Gotta love that blunt and to the point personality sometimes! :) )

She said that the teacher takes a bit of time to warm up but that she is a great teacher and she believes in her 100%. She asked us to give it a week and if we weren't happy then we could have him changed to the other class (which we know nothing about since we didn't meet that teacher though she seemed nice in the hall and wore brightly colored clothes and her room seemed warmer. There are two AM classes and one PM.).

We also learned that they do art ONE time a week. That's it...and only if time allows (I will clearly be supplementing that every day since my son has always been, and will probably always be, all about art). Music once a week too as well as PE once a week. The school, as all schools in this district, are academically focused so there is no toy time or play time. I can not begin to tell you how much I HATE that. He is FIVE years old.

We talked with Kelton on the way home and asked (in our excited "isn't this great" voices) what he thought. He was excited though, as he put it, the teacher's hair kind of freaks him out. It's long and in braids. All things considering, that was easy enough to talk about. Mostly though - he does seem excited. Dakota and I talked about whether we just have higher expectations of what a classroom would look and feel like because we have the experience whereas Kelton has no expectations and doesn't know that a classroom should be bright and happy.

After we got home Dakota called up our old neighbor. (We had seen her at the school and chatted briefly before we were allowed into the school. her son is going into the 3rd grade there.) She offered to call a teacher friend of hers at the school and get information for us. She and Dakota talked and it sounds like it will be ok. The teacher assured our old neighbor that she would have no problem putting her own child into Kelton's teacher's class (and did with her first and plans to again with her youngest daughter). Kelton's teacher does has ADHD and is a bit disorganized but has good control over the class and is great with the kids. (Yeah, that is probably going beyond the bounds of info to share but still....this woman is taking care of, and teaching, OUR child and I want all information I can get to be sure this is a good place for him.)

I guess we have no real choice...just plunge ahead and see where it takes us.

The upshot though is Kelton seems very excited. I guess that should be what we watch. So - we'll see how the first week goes and re-evaluate from there. But I can totally see why people move into different neighborhoods to get their kids into different schools. I guess after his day camp teacher experience I was expecting another Ms. Emily and a bubbly personality... a bit of "Hi and welcome to ..." talk. There was nothing like that. Just people mingling in the room, filling out a form and then waiting in line to shake hands with the teacher. Maybe my expectations were too high. I really expected to hear what the year would hold and how their days would look. I don't think that would have been asking too much though. *sigh*

I'm suddenly NOT thrilled. *sigh*

Here are some photos of our time at the school.





16 comments:

Audra said...

I guess maybe kindergarten has changed a lot since i was a kid! We did learn, but it was fun, and we had lots of different play stations (kitchen, arts and crafts, music, etc.) and we were free to wander around after our work was done. I also didn't have homework in kindergarten though, and my brother's (who is 4 years younger) kindergarten experience was much different than mine. He had homework, and they were much more rigid on the amount of playtime. I really believe that kids learn through play, and by doing things they enjoy (like art for Kelton). I hope things work out!!

Pam said...

Sorry deleted my last comment for all of the typos! Hopefully I fixed them all!

I'm sorry you were disappointed about the school experience. We had Piper's last night too. Last night was just for them to see the class and meet the teacher. She will get into the routine and the curriculum at Curriculum Night in a few weeks. From my teaching experience though I can tell you I was so much more nervous around parents than I was around the kids so maybe this is how Kelton's teacher is too. Hopefully when it is just her and the students she is warm and nurturing. Also in my experience the work they do in K is not just pencil and paper work, it is coloring, cutting and doing projects that relate to what they are learning. The once a week art is probably just art for art's sake (which is very important as well), but hopefully some aspects of art will be incorporated throughout the curriculum. And maybe her classroom is bleak because she likes to fill it with the students' work.

I hope Kelton has a wonderful year and if you need to know more about the teacher my next door neighbor teaches 2nd grade at that school (pretty sure it is the one Kelton is going to) and I can pick his brain as well.

Brenda said...

Carson has a full week of Kindergarten behind him now. I can tell you he has colored every day. Plus he is learning new songs and the teacher reads stories.

Kindergarten may have changed since we were little (i.e: nightly homework), but they still want to make it fun for the kids.

Kelton will love it, I'm sure. :o)

Froggymama said...

I'm also a little scared of people with very long braids. Maybe Kelton's onto something. :) Maybe the teacher hadn't completely set up her room yet. My aunt is a teacher, and she is also a big procrastinator and usually puts up the colorful fun stuff last minute. I hear ya though, what ever happened to the kindergarten where you learned how to use a scissors and eat a little paste. Geez.

momtothreeboys said...

I felt the same last year when I saw Foster's kindergarten class. OMG - totally the opposite of what you described - that teacher's room did not have ONE inch of blank space which I thought would be distracting. PLUS, his class was going to me in one of the "mobile classrooms" (AKA: a trailer with NO a/c). But you know what? It all worked out okay. The teacher turned out to be awesome, the classroom evolved to include all the kid's work, even the "mobile classroom" seemed, in the end, to be a warm and cozy place. But yeah, first impressions and all - give it a few weeks - I'm sure it will all come together! Hugs!

Anonymous said...

Hi there,

Ugh--so sorry to hear that. This is really such an important time, and the least they could do is realize that it is new and different and (should be) exciting to each family, every year. I hope things changes after school starts.

Thinking about you guys...

Anonymous said...

I'll add my 2 cents as well. Alot of the things you see in classrooms the teacher has bought out of her own pocket since schools have such limited funds. Perhaps Kelton's teacher is supporting her mother or something and has little discretionary funds. Or like someone else mentioned, she likes to put up the kid's work and doesn't want the classroom to become too overwhelming.
Anyway, give it a few weeks and if they don't have another open house thing, ask to meet her after school sometime.
Also Art supplies are very expensive as well. The day camp Kelton went to had different funding and was suppose to be fun and socially oriented and not so educational. Most of our elementary schools around here only have art once a week as well. But the kids do color and cut as part of the regular curriculum. So hang in there and give it all a chance.
((((((((Casey)))))))))))
Lynn

Anonymous said...

Oh Casey, I just went thru this last week with Lukas' class and teacher. I went to the open house and had the same thoughts/feelings you had. I was shocked at what I was seeing. No happy faces, no organization what so ever. Well, Lukas has one week behind him and it's okay. He likes it but my husband and I are thinking about some changes for next year if things do not pick up. There are 21 kids in his class with no aid. There are 2 AM and 1 PM classes and his is the only one with no aid. Makes me mad. I actually came home after the open house and started to look up homeschooling stuff on the internet. He he! Anyhow- Good luck to Kelton and I hope things work out for you. I know they will!

Heidi

yankeegirl said...

I know it's so hard to give them up when they are so little! Send him with a smile, stay involved (like there was any doubt about that :) and see how it goes.
(hugs)

Sheri said...

Remember that popular book in the 80's, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"? I know that schools are focussing more on academics today than when we started school. But, I still believe that what our kids will learn the most are the basics:
* Play fair.
* Don't hit people.
* Put things back where you found them.
* Clean up your own mess.
* Don't take things that aren't yours.
* Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

But just as every kid has a unique learning style, every teacher has a unique teaching method. Hopefully, you'll get to see soon what makes Kelton's teacher unique, as much as Kelton will show her what a fantastic and unique kid he is!

Lynilu said...

Casey, it is hard to let go. Period. But I suspect that you and Dakota have raised a self-sufficient and resillient little guy who will do just fine. Have faith that he will let you know when something is not OK.

As for the lack of art (or other activities, if any) consider volunteering to do some activities to support the class. You can be involved, see how he is doing, get to know the teacher and other kids. I suspect it would ease your concerns. OR ... tell you to get him the heck outta that class.

Sorry for your uneasiness. Hugs are bounding thru cyberspace to you as I write!!

Caroline said...

I hope Kelton has a great first day of kindergarten. You know, I really don't remember being in Kindergarten. The only thing I remember is having a kitchen area and I used to love doing the dishes. Boy have times changed.

Laura said...

I hope Kelton has a good start to K tomorrow. If it makes you feel any better, Brendan's pre-K teacher was the complete opposite of warm and fuzzy with the parents, she had no skills with them at all, but she was great with the kids. In fact this summer when Brendan had her for a class at the school he told her that even though she wasn't his teacher anymore that he'd love her forever. Even though I didn't really like her, I have to figure that she did something right with the kids for him to feel that way about her. I did get a warmer feel from his K teacher with the class he had with her this summer, and I'm hoping that continues with K which he'll start on Wednesday, but really I just hope she's a good teacher and that Brendan continues to enjoy school.

em1__mak2 said...

What a BIG day! I hope Kelton and mommies settle in quickly and find this a wonderful experience.

Monogram Queen said...

Honey if you hear warning bells LISTEN. I would talk to as many different people as I could also. That's a huge thing! I hope it all works out and the teacher ends up being great. I know i've been wrong about people at first impression many times! Hugs! I am already stressing about Maddie going to school. I"m putting it off as long as I can!

Jojo said...

I do hope it all works out for the best. What a horrible position to be in. Is private school an option? I know it's a sacrifice, but the right start can be worth it.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!

jojo