A Big Change for Us All: A Brick and Mortar School

I’ve mentioned before that the girls are starting at a brick and mortar school this year for the very first time with the exception of German Kindergarten.  They have been much more accepting of the idea than I thought they would be, but as the day approached nervousness began to creep in.  Genevieve is so positive about everything she had very high expectations for her first day.  Hannah reserved her judgment. 

Back in January, the girls were picked by a lottery system to attend a classical charter school.  I had heard that it was very hard to get your kids into this school and thought I’d just apply and trust in the Lord.  Both girls got in surprisingly, but to the downtown campus which would be a long commute no matter where we chose to live.  They were put on a waiting list at the school that is closest to our rental house, but even then they were not far down the list.   Although some of the boys also got into the downtown campus, they were far on the waiting list for the closer campus and I turned down the offer for them, deciding to homeschool the boys this year. We decided that this is what God wants for our family.

Uniform shopping went so much better than expected as well.  My girls are very picky about how clothes feel and fit, Hannah more so.  I was prepared for the worst, but they loved the uniforms!  Both of them!  Unbelievable!

I had been in contact with some of the moms at the school.  One of them invited us to a dinner party where a bunch of families from the school that had seventh and eighth grade girls would be present.  We went and the girls really enjoyed the other girls.  They were nearly all very inclusive of my daughters and super sweet girls.  I think we all felt better knowing some of the girls from school before the first day.

First day jitters and the groans I got when I woke them up at 6:15am were abundant.  The car pool line is definitely something we will have to adjust to.  The whole first day I prayed for them so much.  It was so weird not having them home.  I had a lot of unpacking to do, and I planned to start the boys’ school about mid September.  I went into their rooms and prayed for them while I made their beds as a gift for them on their first day. 

When they opened the door to the car at pick up time, Genevieve burst into tears.  She said that it was very different from what she anticipated.  The kids were not “mean,” but she said they were “just different” and not quite as nice as homeschooled girls.  After talking to her about the day and the people she sat with at lunch and played with at recess, I advised that she sit with another specific girl whom we had met at the dinner party.  That girl even saw her after lunch and asked her to sit with her the next day.  I explained that not all groups of girls are going to be the same and maybe that was just not the right people to fit her personality and sensitive spirit.  Bless her heart, she pretty much moped and cried all evening.

When Hannah got in the car, her first words were, “Genna, people can see you crying.”  When I asked how her day went, she said, “It was fine,” with a shrug.  I continue to be shocked.  Honestly, she’s the one I was worried about. 

Day two was way, way, WAY better for Genevieve!  I can’t even describe the happiness I felt when she made eye contact with me while walking to the car and the biggest smile filled her face.  Turned out Mom was right again.  Who you sit with at lunch makes all the difference!  She found her niche and has been happy ever since with her new friends.

Day two for Hannah was more of the same.  “It was fine.”  Hannah has been enjoying English and History the most.  They love their teachers!  Hannah's favorite teacher is her History/PE teacher.  Genevieve has never liked Science, but it’s all she talks about now.  When I asked why she never liked it before, she said, “Well, Mr. P____ never taught me Science before.”  I’ll try not to take that too personally.  He's definitely her favorite teacher.

I'll be honest and say this first picture of their first day is not completely accurate.  I happen to make Hannah laugh and caught her right at the right moment.  The next picture is more true to how she felt.

It has not all been smooth sailing, but I will say that overall they have adjusted very quickly and we LOVE their teachers and school so far.  Waking up early every day has been an adjustment for us as a family, but we've been doing better than I expected.  We are into a routine now in the mornings.  The boys and I are homeschooling, but that's for another post.