Kindergarten Blues

Oh boy what a kerfluffle this week...

So my oldest child, Stanley was due to start kindergarten this year. I guess I was supposed to be on top of that (oops) but instead of signing him up in JANUARY, I was having a baby boy :) Well, honestly, I had no idea at all I was supposed to do it that early! I figured a week or two before school started was all that was needed, I wasn't trying to be a slacker. Ok, maybe I did postpone a bit ;)

Anyway, I finally went down to the school, and found out he needed a bunch of shots and a TB test. They were closed to registration until Sept. 1. (this was in August that I went). Well, the soonest TB test I could get was ON Sept. 1 and it needs to be read 48 hours later... ok, pushing it a bit since school started here on 9/9/09. So I got him his shots and test... he passed the test and I went down to register him... and... the school was closed early. Now it's labor day weekend! So TUESDAY (school started the next day!) I went to the school...

Now the school in my neighborhood is totally ghetto. It's rated as one of the worst schools in the STATE. I am NOT sending my child there. I went down to the local top rated school (I'll call this "first choice") near where my uncle lives (not far from me, just in a better part of town ;) ) I took him with me for address verification. So the school tells me that the kindergarten is FULL and he would have to be sent to a different school! (I'll call this "friendly school") Not only that, but since my uncle's last name is different than mine and Stanley's, I'd have to get a notarized letter signed by us and his landlord stating that we lived with him, AND they would send an attendance officer to his place to make sure I did live there. Ha ha. Well... that's out.

So I give up and head over to what I'll just call "ghetto school". I sign him up... and they say that they are FULL too!!! WTF? BUT they say he will be put into an "overflow" class... The next day (first day of school) is a "parent orientation" day, so I go with him to class. The school is packed with over a thousand kids... and my little blond haired blue eyed white boy... is the ONLY white child in the entire school. I'm thinking, gosh elementary school is hard enough without being singled out like that... I seriously wonder how the parents of the first black kids that were bussed to the all-white schools did it. It's scary to think of your child not fitting in.

The overflow class had about 30 students. They put us in the auditorium. The kids were on the "stage" and the parents in the audience. They read some stories, then divided them into four groups that took turns playing with playdough, looking at books, coloring, and getting a story read to them. No individual attention, just driving them around like... cattle. moo. Ghetto day care. The mentioned that the overflow kids would all be placed in different schools that week...

When we got home, I called the school district and asked if I had any choice as to where he was sent, and amazingly they said "yes!" I just had to call his ghetto school and let them know where I wanted to be placed! So I called the ghetto school and told them I wanted to go to what I'll call "good school".
Them: "but we won't bus him there it's too far away!"
Me: "I don't mind, I'll drive him!"
Them: "whatever, but you have to call them yourself"
Me: "OK!"
So I call good school. They say... THEY ARE FULL TOO!

Now what? Well, I remembered "friendly school" that the "first choice" had said that he would be sent to... so I called them!
Me: "I was wondering if you have space in your kindergarten class for my son Stanley"
Them: "Yes! We've been waiting for you all day! "First choice" said that they were sending you here! Come down, if you can make it by 12:20 you have a spot!"
[the time is 11:50 and my son is asleep after his day at ghetto school].
Me: Do I have to bring my son, he's asleep...
Them: Yes.
Me: I'm on the way!

So I wake up Stanley and get down to the school with 10 minutes to spare, so he gets to sit in on the last 10 minutes of the class. They sign me up... had a funny convo with the principal...
Her: We were waiting for you, I though you were coming from "first choice" but you're actually coming from ghetto school?
Me: Um, yeah, we were worried about him not having a spot so we used my husband's address...
[which is actually my address too.... I was going to use my uncle's address for first choice]
Her: Isn't this a long drive for you? Is this going to be a problem?
(it's a 20 minute drive)
Me: Oh no! I um... work down here so this is perfect!
(a big fat lie, I'm a SAHM.)
Her: So why didn't ghetto school call us? They are supposed to be the ones doing the talking between the schools...
Me: Oh, well, they told me to call you!
Her: Well, that's weird. I haven't dealt with ghetto school in the past...
LOL

So... anyway, he got signed up to friendly school ok. The next day I dropped him off... and oh boy did I cry. Gosh how I miss my little man! I hate that I have to send him away every day. I'm very very glad it's to friendly school and not ghetto school, but I hate that he isn't home. My whole life has to change. I have to be responsible, get up in the mornings, make lunch... He's going to be taught by someone else and have all these expereinces that are out of my reach. Oh that sounds controlling, it's not that... It's just that I've had him for 5 years, and I'm not ready to let him go!

So as a post script... the "first choice" school called me today and said that a spot had opened up and I could move him to that school. After much thought, I actually declined. They have the wrong address for me, and I really don't think it would be good for Stanley to be switched to a third kindergarten in three days!