First Day Of Kindergarten

My husband and I walked up to the school with the baby in the stroller today to pick up our daughter after her first full day as a Kindergartner. We left our house about 15 minutes before school was to let out. In front of the school there were two benches to sit on so we took a seat.

Soon after teachers and school helpers came out with walkie talkies. They have the people picking up children in their cars park in two lanes leaving the third lane for the school buses. If your child is what they call a "parent pick-up" you have a bright pink laminated paper with the child's name on it. If in your car, you are to put the paper on your dash. If you walk up like we did, you just hold your paper. One of the teachers or school helpers will then say the name of the child into a walkie talkie to someone inside the cafeteria with all the kids. Someone then brings out your child.

I noted today that if I ever have to drive to pick up my daughter, which I know I will if it is raining or really cold, I plan to be there EARLY to get in the front of the car line as the cars were lined WAY down the street. Total chaos! Glad we walked today! Now we have a heads up as to what to expect if we ever do drive.

Ummmm......yeah, they were not very organized at first. The woman said our daughter's name numerous times along with a lot of other kid's names. None of them came out. We were beginning to think that her walkie talkie wasn't working properly. She then went in and said our daughter's name a few times in the cafeteria where she was suppose to be. When she came back out without our daughter we began to wonder what on Earth was going on! She asked us, "Are you sure she didn't go somewhere else?" I flat out told her, "She better not have because I told her teacher she was a parent pick-up." She then had me go inside to see if I saw my daughter in the cafeteria. I went in and there she was. Whew! Can you imagine if they had lost her on the first day! I would have had a cow! A big one! I made sure that my daughter knows to always be listening for them to call her name from now on. I'm thinking she didn't realize she needed to do so today. I mean, it was her first school day ever.

Well, after some hugs, kisses, and I missed yous we set out from the school on our short walk home. We only live one block from the school. So, yes, it is just a short little stroll. Really nice to be so close. On our walk home we saw one of the girls in my daughter's class walking home with her little brother and her dad. Of course my daughter said hello and was talking to her. I then introduced myself and my husband to the little girl's dad. It was really nice to have already met one of the other parents. I think he enjoyed meeting us too and made a comment about now knowing other kids in the neighborhood. I have a feeling the girls are going to be friends and playing together before we know it.

After we got home, I had told my husband I wanted to do something special for our daughter for being so brave and having a great first day. Instead of giving her a new toy, which goodness knows she does not need, I gave her two choices. We could either go to Chick-Fil-A where she LOVES to play in the play area or we could go out for Sonic ice cream after eating supper at home. She chose to go to Chick-Fil-A so that is where we went. Funny thing is that apparently we weren't the only ones with this idea. There were at least two other Kindergartners there too. Great minds think alike I guess!

We talked a lot about what she did at school today. They went to the gym, played outside, drew a picture that the teacher kept in a jouranal, and had a small rest time where they laid their heads on their desks. She said she had fun eating lunch in the cafeteria. She told me the rhyme they learned for when walking in the hall.
It went like this:
Hands behind my back
I'm standing straight and tall
Now I'm ready for the hall

Overall she said she had a great day at school. She said she had lots of fun. I don't think we will have a problem getting her to go back. She said she is ready. I hope she will always love school so much! Only time will tell!