Kindergarten woes - vent

[Renee845]

I can't tell you how angry I am! Yesterday was supposed to be my DD's orientation, I got a letter in the mail WED cancelling it due to a "principal retreat" They said, it will not be rescheduled and we are welcome to come to open house on 9/25!! DD is really worried about K (me too for that matter) and I had really hoped orientation would ease her mind and she would not be going into school blind. Not to mention the fact that I took yesterday off (I am normally off on Fridays) and I am working today and we are leaving for WDW tomorrow at 4:00 a.m.!! If I ever needed a Friday off it was this one!!! I just can't understand how they can cancel something as important as a Kindergarten orientation, I am sure I am not the only mom out there with a ton of questions about school. I don't have any other children so it is not like I "know the drill" This school has given us no info whatsoever and I am now more stressed than ever. I was really looking forward to having all my questions answered and feeling confident about her first day.

 

[mmmears]

I'm really sorry this happened to you and your DD. Try not to let her see your reaction, though, or it will magnify her own anxiety. This is coming from someone who has been there, and whose DD had a hard time transitioning into Kindergarten. Hopefully, on the first day of school, you will both get some of your questions answered, either before class starts, or after it finishes.

It's not right, but it sounds like there is nothing you can do about it. Hopefully, the teacher will know how to make the kids comfortable on their first day of school. My DD's first day of K was all orientation anyway. Have a great vacation, and dont worry too much about it! (I realize this is little consolation when it's your baby involved, but just trying to reach out and help!)

 

[RumpleMom]

In our school district, the secretaries are in the building and will provide a tour when a parent and child drop by, or maybe call first if you have time. It seems your time is short, so take your child to school to see it and meet the secretary. Go in the morning, she might be only working half days. She can explain the bus routine, playground, etc., not really classroom procedures, but this will be very helpful for your child.

Most important, don't let your child know that this has you upset. Act like you are very self-assured about her starting school and things will go much more smoothly.

 

[Renee845]

Yes, you are both right, I have been very careful about not letting DD see me stressing about Kindergarten, whenever we talk about it we are always very upbeat and I make sure she is happy and excited, me, on the other hand.....I am sure everything will work out okay, I was just sooo looking forward to the peace of mind before we went away.

 

[disneybridetobe]

If you're nervous, see if you can get a tour of the school. Sometimes a teacher is in his/her room trying to get it ready, so there's a slight chance you might get to say a quick hello to your child's teacher. (My mom is a Kindergarten teacher, and she's been at the school all week preparing.) I don't suggest trying to talk to the teacher for more than 5-10 mins, though, they're pretty busy at this point!

 

[NY_MOM]

If you feel that visiting would help both you and DD, I absolutely urge you to call and see if you can drop in and do a quick mini tour and perhaps just introduce yourselves to the teacher. We did our little orientation visit in May and DD was really excited to see the classrooms and meet the 2-Kindergarten teachers, so I know that this was an important meeting. Just call the school and see how they can accomodate you..GOOD LUCK

 

[tanyaandallie]

How weird that the canceled the orientation. My dd is going into kinder and we had meet the teacher today. Honestly, we learned nothing that I didn't know already and dd had already toured the school, but it gave her a chance to see her actual classroom and to meet her teacher, even if it was just for a few minutes.

I am also doing the "hide the nerves from the kid" thing. As weepy as I feel about my baby starting kinder, I know I need to not let her see it!

 

[Stephres]

I know that our kindergarten teachers do not get paid for doing orientation, they do it because they feel it is important. I know it is frustrating and I hope all your questions can be answered the first day.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

My guess would be that the principal's retreat was a district wide mandatory event...maybe it was scheduled after the orientation, the administration can't get out of it, and don't want to have the orientation without being there. as others suggested, do not let your daughter know you are upset, and see if you can stop by for a few minutes. hopefully even meet the teacher!

 

[disneyfan2]

My DD will also be starting Kindergarten at a new shcool. They will be bused, and i assumed we would have orientation first day to meet teacher etc, show her the class room. Well i got the newletter from teacher and no mention of parents coming day 1? I will call next week because it is new to her, and busing is also new so i have no idea what to do?

 

[dementia412]

My youngest is starting on Sep 2 while my older kids are starting Aug 26. We weren't told this and it wasn't on the calendar. We got a letter two days ago which mentioned it along with the same old uniform and other information. We had assumed they all started on the same day, so now my DH has to take several days off. (no daycare because we didn't think she needed any)
I should be used to this. They are terrible about giving us needed information. We still don't know what time the kids need to be there or when they're getting out, we don't know who their teachers are. the room numbers, nada. At least this year they have some excuse because the entire staff was given the boot at the end of last year so we are dealing with new people and new schedules, but come on, they can't send out a note letting us know if we should send them out the door at 7:45 or 8:15? Schools drive me nuts.

 

[mickeyluvr004]

I feel your pain our school had all the medical documents since last April, and we got a letter last week that our daughter needed 2 shots her birthday is Nov so maybe I overlooked the shot thing but I was releived that the doctors office took her right in, In our district we can go in the school the week before and meet the teachers, my daughter is also going into Kindergarten shes my last baby and we are having an orientation so that they actually get to spend an hour with the teacher and have a snack this monday a week and a day before they start so i am happy about that. Can you take the child in just to look around and find the homeroom? I would call and ask just to ease your mind, GOOD LUCK Im sure everything will work out.

 

[sashagiselle]

I say make the call and schedule a quick tour/meeting with the principal/teacher. My dd is also going into Kinder and I've gotten calls from both her principal and teacher at home and cellphone to invite us to meet with them and tour the school at whatever time is convenient. Kinder is a big deal!! Good luck!

 

[snickerboo]

That would definitely be frustrating!!!

 

[SalandJeff]

Wow...I would be ticked also. It would seem they could find someone other than the principal to conduct the orientation.

But since they didn't, I would agree that you should try to take your dd to school. My dd is starting on 9/2. We went to look around right after school ended in June and one of the paraeducators took us on a tour. We have gone to the school playground several times to play, went inside the school and her class after we got her assignment of room & teacher just to look in her room, and looked in the windows last week when the classroom was all set up. The teachers go back this Thursday and I plan on taking her with me to drop off some medical forms just to look in again and hopefully meet her teacher. I figure at least it will look a little familiar to her after these trips. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

 

[pinktink83]

At our school the "meet the teacher" night is just a quick 10 min come and go type thing. They dont really have time to answer a lot of questions b/c they are trying to meet every parent and child in the space of an hour. Mainly its just to pick up the info packet, introduce yourself, see the classroom, and thats it. Then there is a Parent Info Night about 3 weeks into the school year where they go over the nitty gritty for the year, you can ask the teacher questions, go over school curriculum, etc.

I would be sad about missing it, too, but I think she'll do just fine! Just make sure you get there 30 minutes early so you can walk her around and go into her class early with her. Also, the week of and the night before you'll want to go over and walk around the campus, show her all the buildings, playgrounds, bathrooms, drinking fountains, crosswalks, go over your pick-up spot etc.