Grace's First Day of Kindergarten

First Day assignment

                We hit a milestone at our house. Grace had her first day of Kindergarten at Oakbrook Elementary today. We have heard nothing but positive comments about Parkway school district and in particular the elementary school Grace is attending so it reinforces why we moved all the way out into the ‘burbs if the district lives up to its reputation. So far so good.



                
                School activities began early in the summer when Oakbrook sponsored Literacy Night at the school.    This was a chance for the kids to come and get accustomed to the classroom while the parents got a chance to learn a little more about the routines and ask questions to the administration.  Next came Popsicle night a few weeks ago where the kids played on the playground for a bit while parents chatted.   The week before classes started had bus safety with Buster the Talking Bus.   This was actually very cute – a fun little interactive time for the kids to learn about bus safety.   After learning the rules they took the kids out for a bus ride on the big bus.

                The most stressful pre-kindergarten activity was school shopping.   By chance we picked tax free weekend to do our shopping.  (This is an annual event each year for school supplies and clothes to be tax free for a weekend prior to classes starting.)   The department store was packed with other parents and kids working through their school lists.  The school lists are much different than Jason and I remember.   The lists are very very specific – like red & blue plastic folders no brads, pipe cleaners and Expo markers – Broad Chisel tip.     All I remembered of school supplies was getting crayons, paper, pencils a trapper keeper and the box of Kleenex (yes, kids still need to take a box of Kleenex to school at the beginning of the year – I like thatJ).

Grace and her friend Evan

The official first day photograph

                Finally the big day arrived.  Grace wanted to go to bed early for the big day.   It didn’t quite happen.   But no worries – she still woke up in time and in a good mood.  Grace was so excited for the arrival of the bus and hoped she wasn’t going to be late for the bus stop – she wasn’t.   The next door neighbors also had two of their boys getting on the same bus so it was not scary at all for Grace and she barely had time to pose for a picture outside the bus before leaving.   

                There were no tears from any and we even got a nice note from her teacher saying she thought Grace had a nice first day.   At the end of the day we assumed we would get a download of the day right after school – but nope Grace was too busy going over to the neighbors and playing with the other kids.   A new phase of our lives is beginning and it is the ditch parents phase.   I am totally fine with this growth.  
 

Clara photobombing on Grace's big day

                An interesting side effect to the first day of Kindergarten was Clara’s attitude.   She was super-duper excited about the day too.   She enjoyed waiting for the bus with all of us and kept singing over and over “Go America Go!” (Not sure why this was the chant for the day other than she was checking out a flag in our yard).   She agreed to walk to school with Jason instead of driving and she was a chatty Kathy after school when Grace was at the neighbors.   I think Clara is enjoying not sharing her parent time with a sister.