Back to School 2021

 It's the most wonderful time of the year! The kids were actually pretty excited to go back to school. I think they were extra bored with less friends around the new house so the prospect of school was more inticing than years past

I like to take these pictures outside but it was pouring! First up, Sarah. She started 7th grade at Maple Grove Middle School. New house, new school. It's a brand spanking new school since they brought back the middle schools this year. She would have gone to this school even if we hadn't moved which means all her Rees friends are there too. This makes the transition to secondary school and moving all the easier. She has to wake up at 7 am every morning which I was worried about because last year she was my latest riser. But so far so good the past 5 mornings. She catches the bus 45 minutes before school starts but gets home just 15 minutes after school lets out.

She is taking orchestra and is learning the violin. She also has dance and PE this semester which means she has to change twice a day. Due to a system error they still haven't gotten their lockers so she has to carry her backpack around with her everywhere, including lunch.

Henry is in 5th grade this year. I can't believe this is his last year in elementary school. He has Mr. Groneman. Fun fact: Mr. Groneman's wife teaches at Rees and was Henry's second grade teacher. He's practically part of the family, says Mr. G. 

His new friend from church, Beck, is also in his class so he is having a great time. I think he'll really like having a male teacher.

Erica is in second grade. Her teacher is Mr. Curtis. She was nervous about having a "boy teacher" but she heard so many good things about him from my sister who works at the school and her son that had him. During the open house I heard parents walk past his door saying things like "Oh I love Mr. Curtis."

Second grade is also the grade I started when I moved to Mapleton 30 years ago so it's bringing back all the feels. Fun fact: she's in the exact same classroom I was in for second grade.

The countertops are the same.

She didn't know anyone in her class since the only other girl in her church class is a grade younger. Mr. Curtis said there were 7 kids new to the school this year in her class so she needn't worry about being "the new kid." She said she sits with Nora and Delane during lunch, whoever they are. 

I can't tell you how nervous I was all day long that first day. Are they lost? Do they have someone to sit by? Are they sad? I wish I was a fly on the wall just so I knew they'd be okay.

I usually make a good breakfast for them the first day but they are always too nervous to really eat. So James and I made biscuit cinnamon rolls for them when they got home instead.

Speaking of James. He's my buddy. I found out on Thursday that he got a spot at the MMHS preschool where Sarah went. I was so happy. Since I didn't know where we were going to go I never signed him up anywhere until May but it was just on waiting lists. I didn't feel right about a couple of home preschools near us so I resigned myself to home preschool and story time at the library to suffice. I was so happy he got a spot! I think he got bumped up the waiting list because Mrs. Crandall loved Sarah so much and that she and Nadine are like second cousins or something. But maybe everyone else found other preschools and we didn't.

He starts after Labor Day and only goes twice a week so we are going to continue homeschool the other three days. I saved all of Erica's "Look I Can Read" worksheets from kindergarten so that I can teach him to read. He'll be 5 in November. He can totally learn to read before kindergarten. I also got him a couple of workbooks from Amazon for other subjects. I've also found some fun science videos on Youtube so he knows all about the water cycle now.