STORM2K

My kids went back to school today. Many students in the Cincinnati area did. In fact on another local message board I lurk at, they started a thread like this one. I thought, hey this could be fun!!!

I'll start......2 stories come to mind.

First Day of HS, new Freshman. I promptly lost my schedule near the end of the day. Came in from the bus crying. I was so upset. My mother is not the type of person you want in an emergency! She was so frantic for me - "oh what are we going to do?", wringing her hands, end of the world kind of thinking. LOL Long story short, I was worried I'd never find my way around again. Silly huh? My dad came home from work and said "okay, let's call the school office." So now when my own girls get their schedule, guess what the first thing we do is? You got it, we make several copies! And I remain calm.


My daughter Nina's first full day of school, First Grade: Her sister, Laura was 3 then and had to hear me worry about Nina all day long. When Nina walked up the driveway I was about to ask how her day went, but Laura blurted out - "We went to Leaps & Bounds today while you were at school!" A boldface LIE! Nina started crying, I was shocked but found my voice - "you tell your sister the truth right now!" "I'm just kidding.....", smirking. Instead of the Norman Rockwell scene I had pictured in my mind - milk and cookies - I had one kid crying and the other so proud of herself. This story has come up a lot in our family. FYI, L & B was indoor playland with tubes/slides/tunnels, etc. From that day forward if we ever had a fun outing planned while Nina was at school, I told her beforehand.

Please add your own memories - personal or about your children!

Mary

I don't have a lot of first day at school memories...or many childhood memories for that matter.

All I can say is


DRIVE CAREFULLY!!!!!

Speaking of first day of school...there's a Wxbuddy (from S2K's affiliate WxChat) named Colin from Kendallville, IN and this year he has to actually be in class by...better SIT down for this: 6:30 AM!!!!

HOW INSANE!!!! NO kid of any age should have to be at school by that time!!

Eric

Skywatch_NC wrote:Speaking of first day of school...there's a Wxbuddy (from S2K's affiliate WxChat) named Colin from Kendallville, IN and this year he has to actually be in class by...better SIT down for this: 6:30 AM!!!!

HOW INSANE!!!! NO kid of any age should have to be at school by that time!!

Eric

And I thought 7am was bad! Knowing someone else has to be at school at an even ungodlier time than me makes 7am seem not AS bad, but still bad, lol.
...Jennifer...

I just started classes at Unviersity of Nebraska-Omaha, transfering from an area community college. It is definitely bigger, more students, longer walks, but overall a more richer experience I think.

Going back in time:

High School - 9th grade in, gasp, 1996! I was so used to my single-floor, every class you need is pretty much as stones throw away environment. But went to the LARGER two-story high school and it took a little getting used to.

Of course, middle school, which, in my area, is mostly 6 - 8 grade, I had to get used to actually finding my way through school, with human traffic jams at times.

Ditto Jen - my girls start school at 7:20. Yes, first class begins then. My youngest catches the bus at 6:29. Her sister is now a senior and can't be seen riding the bus. OMG, what would that do a senior's reputation? LOL Luckily she gets a ride and now I have my hubby asking, if Laura can tag along. In theory that makes sense, sister of one getting picked up. But you see Laura drags in the morning, runs out the door at the last possible second. So I'm making her take the bus for a while. I want to see how together she is this year before we ask her sister's friend for a ride. You give Laura a few more minutes to sleep in the morning and it becomes a full 30 minutes!

Years ago I used to get up at 6, Mon-Fri for my doctor's office job. I never hit the snooze button, I got right up. I was never tired (of course I was in my 20s then, he he) and got thru my day fine. Now what I'm trying to tell my body is that it's only 30 minutes earlier than that time period, what's 30 minutes? LOL It might as well be 2 hours. We're all dragging this week! And trying to turn in by 10 - which is so hard. There were many, many nights we all turned in at midnight this past summer.

I don't know who ever had the bright idea that teens should start school this early, when it's a known/scientific fact younger kids just naturally get up earlier, but they were flat out wrong! It really should be the other way around, start teens much later. But then the argument is a late start is a late finish, which interferes with after-school jobs. The problem is the 24 hour day - we need a 28 hour day!

Brian - my youngest is having a hard time adjusting to a big HS, compared to her Middle School. Although her old school was huge, they arranged students on teams of 120 students. Her core subjects were held within 5 rooms, all steps away from eachother. Locker assignments were given out according to teams. So for the majority of her day, she had a locker closeby, all core subjects and a bathroom too. She only had to walk across campus for lunch/gym or music. She got spoiled, that's for sure!

Mary

Wondering what ever happened to being in homeroom at 8:00??

Eric

Me too Eric - I always went to school somewhere around 8 to 3. I never had to get up before 6 either. The year my youngest started at 7:20, two years ago, we got up at 5:15 for the first month. She pokes in the morning. 5:15 is brutal! Just brutal.

Mary

My schedule from grade school through around the 10th grade was heading back the day after Labor Day and getting out in early June. Day started around 8:15 and went to like 3:10. The last two years of high school we started back in late August and got out in early June except for my senior year and I got out in late May...so all in all the land of academia was great for me!

Eric

Sheesh! I got bussed during 2nd grade when I lived in Louisville (would have been bussed in 7th also but we moved to Lexington by then).

I remember having to be up by 6:00 to catch the early bus that took me to my home school, then onto another bus that took me downtown. And then, because of all the darn transportation around town, I didn't get home until late also!

Forget wake-up times!

My pet peeve was always the teachers who assigned craploads of homework and then NEVER graded it or went over it! It could have been 100% incorrect but I got a big red checkmark in the grade book because I did it! Oooh...credit for doing it. Yeah!

And instead of going over the darn homework, they would READ the freaking stuff that they assigned for us to read the night before. HELLO!!! I read this last night! Can we talk about it and discuss the questions/problems/formulas/equations/whatever instead of you regurgitating the page in front of your face back to me? I already have a whole notebook full of notes for that chapter and unless you're going to tell me something new, there's no sense in me taking notes on what you're telling me because you're simply reading the EXACT SAME THING out of the book I just read last night! You mean, I coulda been watching Dallas?

Kentucky education -- sheesh. I don't know how I even have half the intelligence I have.

I don't really remember my first day of preschool(I went when I was 3). My mom says I was anxious about it and when she dropped me off, she stayed in the room for a few minutes to make sure I would be OK and I told her to leave. All I remember from then was the afternoon naps we used to take. I rarely actually went to sleep, I usually just watched the clock.

I skipped a year and then started Kindergarten when I was 5. First day of 1st grade was awful. I remember crying because we had moved and I didn't know anyone at this new school.

Since Brent brought up preschool, it reminded me about Dustin. At my college, they have an on-campus preschool. It works out perfect with my class schedule. And it's very comforting to know that Dustin is only 2 minutes away from me at any given moment. He just started this week and goes 2 days a week. He is doing really well with it. He's only been there 2 days and he has already learned how to wash his hands! His teacher showed me today. It's the cutest thing.

Since I'm on my favorite topic, I've got to share this. Dustin knows his body parts. You can ask him where is your nose, head, feet, etc and he points to the appropriate part. He's not even 2 yet! He's a budding genius. Can you tell, I'm one proud mama. Ok, enough of my boasting for now.
...Jennifer...

Jen - I'd be very proud too! If you want any parenting advice from me, I'd make sure he's reading by Kindergarten. You're saying he's only 2 Mary....hear me out though. I know there are K teachers out there that will say - oh your child doesn't have to actually be reading when K starts, they'll pick it up, etc. - wrong! My now 9th Grader is still trying to pick it up. I clearly recall her K teacher saying those exact words to me, meanwhile I'm noticing that over 50% of her classmates knew how to read already AND were 6 or turning 6 soon after school started. Laura was 5. We've been playing catchup ever since. I should add that she was diagnosed with ADD in 6th Grade, so that's part of the problem. I just wish she had been to pre-school 3 full years, started K at age 6 and I had taught her to read at least 50 sight words before that very first day of K. Once they start, it's just busy-busy. You think you'll have time, but it's cut short. We sat in my LR many, many nights since then using flashcards. She finally didn't dread reading by 7th Grade - 7th! That's how long it took.

Oops, you didn't quite ask for advice but that's what I gently suggest to any parent with pre-K kids.

Mary

Thanks Miss Mary. Your advice is always welcome.
...Jennifer...

Whew, glad you took it that way Jen! I remember hearing how important reading to your child was when my kids were babies. With Nina, it was so easy. She loves to read. We read all 7 Anne of Green Gables books together, taking turns with chapters. We also have all 3 movies! When we have a hectic day or she's home sick, we both say - we need an Anne Day! So we pop in one of the DVD's.....immediately life is less stressful.

Laura's idea of reading, however, was to read comic books. we'd be packing for a vacation, Nina's got several chapter books in her bag. Laura has 5 comic books and would groan if you said go get a BOOK! Do I have to?

You can't go back in time but I wish we could. This disinterest in reading filters into so many other areas of their lives I've discovered. It's torture to get Laura to write a thank you note. Nina can fire a dozen off in no time. While Laura's stuck on the first one - she always wants to write, thank you for the gift(s). What? That's not good enough we say.....sigh. And boys don't like to read anyway! So I'm just glad you took my advice well Jen.

Mary

My kids just started public school again on Tuesday after quite a few years of home schooling. My daughter was able to skip a grade so she started in 7th, as did my son. Their last experiences in public school was in elementary...big changes from that to 7th grade!

So, my daughter studied up...Walgreens gave her a magazine from their make up dept. It had all the stuff she needed to know for starting as the new girl in Jr. High or High. The most important lesson she got from the mag. was to make a friend before lunch, on the first day...no one wants to eat alone in a brand new school, where you are an outsider...So, we watched Chloe' get out of our car that first day...her 1st class was right by where we dropped them off...she immediatly approached a group of girls standing by the class and complimented one on her backpack...this started a conversation, and by the time the bell rang, she had a group of new friends...as we drove back by the school on our way home, we saw that Chloe was still talking away to the girls...this made us so proud, and I know I for one, lost alot of my anxieties for her...Now she says, she never has to walk to class alone , because there are always people waiting for her, to alk with her...girls were fighting over who could be in line with her to get lockers for PE...they wanted a locker next to hers...I am so proud of my daughter, for getting in there, and making it happen for herself! And I am thankful to that magazine that Walgreens gave to her!

Miss Mary wrote:First Day of HS, new Freshman. I promptly lost my schedule near the end of the day. Came in from the bus crying. I was so upset. My mother is not the type of person you want in an emergency! She was so frantic for me - "oh what are we going to do?", wringing her hands, end of the world kind of thinking. LOL Long story short, I was worried I'd never find my way around again. Silly huh? My dad came home from work and said "okay, let's call the school office." So now when my own girls get their schedule, guess what the first thing we do is? You got it, we make several copies! And I remain calm.

I'm impressed Mary...I can't remember my first day of high school, however I do remember the ride home in the bus. There was so much pot being smoked in the back of that bus you could hardly see the person next to you. ( I know...that's why I can't remember anything

and no..I wasn't partaking..although I was getting plenty of 2nd hand smoke.

j wrote:

Miss Mary wrote:First Day of HS, new Freshman. I promptly lost my schedule near the end of the day. Came in from the bus crying. I was so upset. My mother is not the type of person you want in an emergency! She was so frantic for me - "oh what are we going to do?", wringing her hands, end of the world kind of thinking. LOL Long story short, I was worried I'd never find my way around again. Silly huh? My dad came home from work and said "okay, let's call the school office." So now when my own girls get their schedule, guess what the first thing we do is? You got it, we make several copies! And I remain calm.

I'm impressed Mary...I can't remember my first day of high school, however I do remember the ride home in the bus. There was so much pot being smoked in the back of that bus you could hardly see the person next to you. ( I know...that's why I can't remember anything

and no..I wasn't partaking..although I was getting plenty of 2nd hand smoke.

j - that might be ~one~ reason why you scored a 165 on the test? LOL

I liked HS so I retained my memories. Had I dreaded it, I would blotted them out completely! That first day though, I've never forgotten. Mainly, b/c my hysterical mother let me down. One of the many times I vowed to not be like that when I became a mom. Now I've had my near-hysterical moments but I try to find solutions, not make them worse!

Mary

Well, my first day of school memory would have to be this years, wednesday. We have just recently combined schools with a nearby town. Well there was a decent amount that were not expecting the best of years. Well, needless to say, it was probably the best first day of school that I have had. Everybody got along, and it was still fun seeing all of the people I have known, and the new people that I have just recently got to known.

One of my memories of my senior year of high school was my teacher, Mrs. Mercer asking me if her husband had given me a bottle of chanel .5 as a christmas gift. It was true but the truth often is innocent. I worked at a gas station while I was in school for one of my business classes. Her husband would come to gas up his vehicles and he quickly became a favorite customer. I gave him a small bottle of Brut as a token of my appreciation of his business. He said he would be back with his other vehicle and I thought no more about it. He returned with his truck and filled the tank and as he paid the bill he handed me a small wrapped package and said Dynomite comes in small packages. It was all completely innocent.
My oldest son's first day of school started ok but when it came time for him to get off the bus in the afternoon, he wasn't on the bus. The bus driver dropped him off on a street several blocks away with another group of kids when they said come this is your stop. A neighbor took me and his little sister up and down the streets in the neighborhood looking for him. On one street we saw a policeman kneeling along side the road talking to a small boy. We pulled up and it was my son . The policeman said he recognized my son as being not from his street and figured I would be coming to find him. Nothing ever scared me like this did because at age 5 my son was less than 3ft tall and weighed only 19 lbs due to kidney disease he was born with.