This week has been the last in preparation for back-to-school.  Thursday Amalia and Riley had their Open Houses.  Each of them had a large cloth shopping bag full of supplies (and I still need to get water-color paints for Amalia).  I’ve now had the experience of 3 different Elementary schools for their open house.  I think that SGES really has it best.  Especially for the Kindergartener’s. 

The program starts in the Gym where the parents and the Ker’s come in.  The kids sit on mats with their Teacher.  After a few minutes the kids and teachers head off to the classroom (there were only a few crying and dragging their feet!) for a coloring activity and to explore the classroom.  Amalia (as she now had decided to be called) was acting a little shy but had a great time.  She loves her teacher and told me all about the story they told and all the things in the classroom. 

While they were gone, the parents got a pep talk in the Gym to let the kids come on the bus and to drop them off at the door next week.  I guess there are parents who go to school the first day but that was never me – I did follow the school bus on Matthew’s very first day! but that was just to make sure that the driver didn’t need to stop because he was soooooo excited.

After the pep talk, the parents head to the classroom and the kids come back in the Gym for a few games while the parents meet the teacher and drop off supplies.  Amalia has the same woman who was Matthew’s first K teacher.  She was very good and I loved how much all of the school- from the principal to the teachers- worked with me about his behavior issues that year.  I also found out that there are 2 other K’ers in her class who live in my immediate neighborhood. 

Riley and Matthew’s weren’t so indepth but still I think both of them seem to have good teachers and I am hopeful we will have a good year.  Matthew has more children in his class this year and has already been assigned a regular ed teacher and knows several people in that class as well.  We had issues a few years ago where he wasn’t assigned to a regular ed class until the second term and it made it difficult for him to get to know any of those kids well. 

Riley knows some of the kids in his class.  He is always so quiet about his class that it is hard to judge.  He was more excited to go to Matthew’s class and see Matthew’s school than he was for his own.  I think, though, he will like being the big brother to Amalia during the year. 

Stay tuned for some first day pictures on Tuesday.  Gotta make sure my camera battery is charged!

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