First Day of School Photos / Afterschooling Round-Up

[eloquacious]

My son had his first-ever day of school at a Brick and Mortar school! He is attending a classical charter here in the Phoenix area, part of the Great Hearts schools network.

The school uses Spalding for spelling, and we will supplement with some Kumon workbooks and MCP Plaid Phonics A, all for spelling / handwriting practice. Reading-wise, he is loving the Magic Tree House series, especially the Merlin books. Part of his school homework is being read to, and later reading to me. I'll just switch it around a bit and have him read to me right away.

The school uses Singapore Earlybird Kindergarten math, which to be honest seems far easier than the Singapore Essentials we have at home. We'll also do some Kumon and Mead workbooks, and finish up Essentials B.

In addition to the workbooks, which works out to 2-3 pages a day over the course of the year, he loves to play Dreambox, and we're doing Miquon Orange, possibly starting Red (tbd). He also loves other iPad math apps, like Moose Math, which he is currently playing in the background. (There are some spelling apps he likes as well, but mostly he plays Math apps.)

I have yet to figure out what we're doing for German, and he is starting Spanish in school, though VERY lightly. (He is enrolled in half day KG.)

We just moved to a new house with a pool, so physically we are working on learning to swim, and I'm going to work very hard at taking him out to the playground or for walks near sundown, but it is So.Darn.Hot. here when the sun is out, and I'm pregnant, so I make no guarantees. :-/

I would love to enroll him in sports or Lego engineering at school, but they are pretty expensive and the scheduling doesn't work well for half day students. Next year, when he is in 1st grade it'll be easier.

When do you all start school? What are your afterschooling plans?

 

Ahem... side note: I have now tried uploading a photo via my iPad and my husband's computer, but it isn't working. It's been scaled down. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? ETA: Okay apparently I have exceeded my allotted disk space for attachments. How do I delete previous photos?

[SKL]

We start next Wednesday.  I am trying to cram a lot of math into Miss A before then, and LA review and spelling review and a few other things.  :)

 

I have access to most of the texts they will use at school this year, and a lot of supplemental books on school subjects, and practice workbooks for Singapore Math, and a few other things.  :)  I hope to keep a step ahead throughout the year.

 

Miss A is very actively lobbying for me to not prohibit her from having sweets when the rest of the class gets them.  We shall see.  I've been giving the kids a half-cup of coffee each morning in the hope that it improves focus.

 

We just got a letter today that says the teacher will be in the classroom Saturday if we want to drop off our supplies.  I will try to make it and see if I can feel her out a little.  I still haven't decided what to say to her about my kids (if anything).  I'm afraid to say too much or too little.

 

I'm pretty nervous about next week, but I'll be glad to get into the routine and figure out what needs to be done going forward.

[Arcadia]

We just got a letter today that says the teacher will be in the classroom Saturday if we want to drop off our supplies.  I will try to make it and see if I can feel her out a little.  I still haven't decided what to say to her about my kids (if anything).  I'm afraid to say too much or too little.

My boy's 1st grade teacher did get information from his kindergarten teacher before school started.  So the teacher was already "prep" before the first day. I go by gut feel for these. Good luck in getting a teacher that is a good fit for both your girls.

[MistyMountain]

DD starts on the 28th. School starts on the 21st in my town but kindergartners and 1st graders start a week later to meet their teachers. This is dd's first year of full day school. Kindergarten in town is full day but her school does 2.5 hours for kindergarten. So last year I had time to work with her and do after school stuff too. I worked with her a little this summer but definitely not as much as planned. We had a very very busy summer and spent it outside. I did a little with her but instead of making progress I basically just kept her from losing skills because I just didn't spend as much time as I anticipated. I want to do a little bit of math and reading comprehension with her but I don't know what full day school will be like so I don't know how much time I will have.

 

DD goes to a charter school. It reminds me of a classical school in some way but they don't call themselves classical. They have structure and routine and have behavior expectations. They use Spalding phonics and Saxon math. They do a lot of copy work for writing. Even in kindergarten they correct mistakes. They are about quality over quantity with writing which I like.

 

I am a little nervous. Dd got the teacher I was hoping she wouldn't get. She got the really strict one. Her kindergarten teacher was so warm and friendly and all the kids love her. Her two best friends will not be in her class. I am really nervous about her getting the strict teacher and not being with her friends. I hope she has a good year. I meet the teacher next week. They do grades in 1st grade which I am also nervous about.

 

Ds misses the cut off so he doesn't go until next year. I am trying to decide what to do with him. He is very different then dd and I don't know how he will do at her school. I will be working with him this fall and I am actually looking forward to that.

[kiwik]

SKL do you think this years teacher will be easier to deal with?

[eloquacious]

Since I can not upload directly to the forums, here is a snap taken after my son's first day. The blue cone is a Schultüte, literally "school bag," a German tradition for the first day of first grade. Since our school begins with Kindergarten, rather than K being an extension of preschool, I decided to give it to him now rather than next year. It contained some school supplies, European "Smarties," (like M&Ms, bought in Germany), some Lego Creator series mini boxes, and some letter and number shaped gummies (also from our recent trip to Germany.)

 

Essentially, it's a Christmas stocking, but for back to school. ;)

 

http://statigr.am/p/524016423761430875_2569433

[Arcadia]

The blue cone is a Schultüte, literally "school bag," a German tradition for the first day of first grade.

Your son's Schultüte is big and beautiful. My boys made their own Schultüte last year at their German Saturday school.

[Uff Da!]

nm

[jennynd]

School not start until the Wednesday of the Labor Day week and they have Thursday off. Make you wonder why even bother to start that week.

For the older DS, he will only do extra math on Sat/Sunday instead of 4 week days last year. Our schedule during the week is just a bit much to plan anything. He has violin/ 2 days soccer/ tennis and get dragged to his sister's gymnastic. So my plan for this year is just weekend math and take one day out of the week starting algbra based physics. Reading 20 mins after dinner and 20 min vocaburary /grammer alternative days. The reading might get shorten depends on the day. Since he does have free reading in school. I hope it will be ok.

 

For younger going Kinder. Also only plan to do 2 days math/ week. Her school uses SM MIF so it will be interesting. She will also do 20 mins ready after dinner. I also plan to do 1 day of science. We will see how that work out

[SKL]

I met the 2nd grade teacher today.  So far I have a good feeling.  I talked to her about Miss A's listening issue and Miss E needing more challenge, and she indicated that she was aware and had already been planning for that.  She offered to meet with me 1 or 2 weeks after school starts to touch base on how things are going.

 

Miss A walked up to her and asked her if she'd gotten a haircut and why she no longer has braces.  Teacher seemed surprised that Miss A was so observant, and also not afraid to approach the teacher.  Hopefully they are off to a good start.

 

Miss A has been trying to get herself psyched up for school for the past couple of weeks.  She'll say there is so much more fun to be had in the 2nd grade, more sweets, more birthdays.  ;)  I'm pretty sure it's all fantasy, but at least she's trying to go in with a good attitude.

 

I forgot to mention the sugar issue to the teacher.  I remembered it later, and asked Miss A, "did you notice that I forgot to mention sugar?" to which she said "YES."  She has been begging me not to forbid it, and negotiating terms and conditions LOL.  I still plan to bring a bag of Stevia-flavored candies on the first day of school.  ;)

[eloquacious]

Miss A has been trying to get herself psyched up for school for the past couple of weeks. She'll say there is so much more fun to be had in the 2nd grade, more sweets, more birthdays.

I forgot to mention the sugar issue to the teacher. ;)

Do they celebrate each birthday individually? We received a note saying that birthdays would be done communally at the end of the month for all students born in that month. I was a little disappointed to not that parents are allowed to bring in treats...so does that mean we'll have ten cupcakes if ten students have September birthdays? Oh well... At least my son's allergies are a known issue, and I can maybe arrange to bring in an alternative treat on those last days.

 

Some schools locally don't permit food of any kind, which I think is probably best, though the memory of all the cupcakes I ate in school back in ye olden times does make me sad.

[SKL]

Do they celebrate each birthday individually? We received a note saying that birthdays would be done communally at the end of the month for all students born in that month. I was a little disappointed to not that parents are allowed to bring in treats...so does that mean we'll have ten cupcakes if ten students have September birthdays? Oh well... At least my son's allergies are a known issue, and I can maybe arrange to bring in an alternative treat on those last days.

 

Some schools locally don't permit food of any kind, which I think is probably best, though the memory of all the cupcakes I ate in school back in ye olden times does make me sad.

 

Last year's teacher celebrated the birthdays individually.  For my kids I sent in bags with matchbox cars, stickers, and pre-wrapped fruit snacks.  I much prefer for the teachers to send the goodies home in the kids' backpacks, so the parents can decide what gets eaten and when.  But I may be in the minority on that.  ;)

 

Not sure what the birthday policy is for the 2nd grade.  I should ask, since Miss A's birthday is one of the first.