Today was a hard day. Today, I put my baby on a school bus and entrusted her to strangers. Letting go was hard. I wanted to take her to school this week, walk her inside, and help her put away her belongings until she becomes comfortable on her own.
But she insisted that she ride the school bus. She told me that she already knows where to go...and her friends will be there. She couldn't wait to FINALLY ride a school bus and was the first one on the bus at her stop. She didn't even look back and wave.
As I go about my business today, I am thinking about how lucky I am because I know that my little girl is in good hands. That is the only thing that makes letting her grow up bearable. She is attending an EXCELLENT school district and has been assigned to an outstanding teacher. Not all kids are this privileged. We are lucky to live in a high-performing school district focused on academic performance, that employs effective teachers who utilize high-yield instructional strategies and state-of-the art technology. She will learn so much this year, and we parents will, too!
It will be a great school year for Maddie Lu. I can't wait to hear about her first day adventures. Dad and I will both be standing at the bus stop when the bus rolls to a stop this afternoon! But what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall in that classroom :)
I'm calling this one, "Back to School. Again." Why? Because I've had more first days/weeks of school than you can shake a stick at. After completing my own K-12 years, I spent another lifetime as a "career" college student and then taught public school and now teach at the university level. I've seen my share of first days.
But, I still get excited this time of year. Honestly, nothing turns me on like a good school supply list or a bright shiny classroom bulletin board. Of course, at the college level, we don't require too many supplies and I don't have my own classroom or bulletin board, but I'm still pretty excited.
I've been back to work for almost three weeks now, and I've spent a lot of time preparing syllabi and working on the development of new course content (I adopted a new textbook). I took Maddie school shopping and we bought new clothes, a nap mat, and a lunch box. We still need a mesh backpack and some new sneakers.
Overall, I'm ready. On Monday of next week, Maddie has her Kindergarten screening and she will officially begin public school the following week. On Tuesday, classes begin at the university and I get to meet this semester's group of students. It is going to be a great school year - I can feel it!
8/26/2013 Addendum: Duh! I failed to mention that I have already completed this educational process one time - all the way through - with Lauren Skyler. I have truly lived two separate lives and raised two kids who could be considered an "only child." Time flies. It's a blur.
