Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Elementary school

In Illinois where I was raised elementary school, is called "grammar school." After living here on Pluto I have learned to call it elementary school. I remember those years. I had two first days of new school in a row as I attended private school for nursery school and kindergarten and then public for first grade. Then we moved the day before school started in second grade.

As my friends reflect on sending their children, whether the first or last, to kindergarten, I am reminded of Deirdre's first day seven years ago. The switch to kindergarten wasn't that much of a deal in our family. She continued to attend the Child Development Center at Snow College. We dropped her off there and they took her to school and picked her up from school. Her life changed, but as a whole the family's life didn't much. Now the next year was a different story as the Lab was no longer an option for first grade. We now were in charge of getting her to school. That's when D received a cell phone. She biked to school and sometimes walked home or to Snow alone. The cell phone was for emergencies only. Now she texts and calls all the time.

Flash forward to last year and the first day of sixth grade. Now that was a change. Seven days later or to be more precise a year ago tomorrow, we were contemplating the move to seventh grade. Did we do it? or did we continue to be frustrated and perhaps end up with a "problem" child. We did it, as I talked about here.

First day of kindergarten—August 21, 2002

First day of eighth grade—August 24, 2009

You will notice the tree next to her. She has grown quite a lot in seven years; the tree not so much. She is now taller than her grandmother, although I doubt my mother will ever admit that. She looks a little nervous there in kindergarten. Monday—not so much. As a matter of fact it was the first day that she planned on not having a parent either take her or come to her classroom with her. Unfortunately that didn't happen as she had a flat tire on her bike that I luckily noticed before I left for school and could take her.

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