I was looking ahead on the calendar yesterday morning, and realized that Nikos' kindergarten orientation is already next week! I found out about it by looking at the school's website a while back, but had never gotten anything in the mail, so I called to confirm. Yup! Next Wednesday. And we should apparently be getting letters about it this week. As an aside-- that seems like really short notice for something so important! I am really glad I already knew about it, and that I have already made arrangements for Maya to go to dance class with Caryn that morning!
Anyway... no sooner had I confirmed the date, than Niko came home with a paper in his backpack announcing the final PTO meeting of the year at his soon-to-be elementary school. They invited the parents of incoming kindergarteners to come and check it out. And the meeting was tonight! Again, short notice, but I'm glad I was able to go!
So... I was the only "newbie" there, haha! Thankfully, there were a few familiar faces, so I wasn't too nervous. There were about ten people at the meeting, and the principal came in and sat down right next to me. I ended up introducing myself and the kids, and we talked for a bit. She swears she has seen me somewhere before, which makes me nervous (where? what was I doing?), but she was very nice. The assistant principal was there, too. I really felt like I was received very warmly, and I even ended up volunteering to be the school's Box Tops for Education Coordinator (something I have MANY years of experience with, haha!).
Meanwhile... The PTA had hired a few high school girls to babysit all our kids while we were in the meeting. It made me nervous to send my babies off with these strangers and a group of other kids... but Oh. My. Gosh. These girls were FANTASTIC. I should have gotten their phone numbers to come and babysit at our house! Seriously, the kids were having so much fun that they didn't want to go home. And both of them told me all the way to the car how much they LOVED elementary school and couldn't wait to go back! I love it!
I nearly forgot, too... On the way to the meeting, we basically had to walk all the way through the school. The schools here are designed very differently from California schools-- everything is indoors, for obvious reasons! We met up with my friend Jen, whose older kids both go to the school (and whose youngest is the same age as Maya-- they're in dance together). Anyway, as we walked down the hall, she showed us where the two half-day kindergarten classrooms are. Nikos will be in one of them next year! His eyes were HUGE as he peeked inside! Such a crazy moment!
Anyway... that was tonight. My first foray into the world of elementary school, from the parent perspective! And we are off to a great start!
But yeah... So it begins! We have orientation next week, during which time Niko will really get to check out the school while us parents get the spiel in the school multi-purpose room. And the following week is his last week of preschool... he has his first field trip, which is ONLY for kids going into kindergarten (causing Maya to shed many tears). They are going to learn all about riding on the school bus as they take a tour of the town, and then they will get another little tour of the elementary school (there's only one in town, so they will all go there!). After that, they will go and get ice cream at a local shop, and play at the town playground until it's time to go back to school. I'm actually going as a chaperone on the trip, too, which should be a ton of fun! And then, the day after that, my baby boy graduates from preschool. I really can't believe that this chapter of his life is already ending. I'm pretty sure I am going to cry!! ACK!!!!
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