Back to school

The 2012 school year has begun and it didn't quite start off with the bang we were expecting.  This year Henry is in Year 1.  Returning to school after the long Christmas school holidays, we thought he would be excited to see his friends again.  Instead, first day back he was quite teary and wouldn't get out of the car.  Bless him, he said he was scared.  The anxiety of the first day back and knowing his best friend was still on holiday and he would be in a class with different kids was a bit much.  After much coaxing and almost begging, I got him out of the car and in through the school gates.  He clung to me until the bell rang, and once it had sounded a different Henry emerged.  It was the Henry from last year who was happy to be back at school and he confidently went to sit in his class line ready for assembly.  Phew, what a relief!

Then it was my turn to be anxious.  It turns out Henry was being put in a composite class with Kindergarten kids.  It is a class made up of 10 kids from Year 1 and 10 kids from Kindergarten.  My first thought was why is Henry back in a class with kinders.  He got an excellent school report last year and is a high achiever.  I recognised some of the other Year 1 kids in his class and knew they weren't underachievers either.  His teacher held an information morning for us parents to learn about what to expect during the year and she explained the kids were specifically chosen for the composite class because they were independent workers. 

School has only been back a couple of weeks and Henry is already blossoming.  I think he sees himself as a bit of a role model to the kinders in his class, and why not, he is a great kid. 

Milly is also back at preschool.  This year she is attending three days a week and is in a room of 20 kids where the focus is on school readiness.  She is super keen to start school and could have started this year.  We decided to hold her back a year because although she is socially ready, starting school isn't about surviving, it's about thriving.  Emotionally, she could do with another year at home.

Milly's lunchbox and snack bag.  She likes a love letter in her lunchbox and her snack bag to be decorated differently each day.

And what of Buster?..... well he is at home with me.  Three days a week he now has me to himself.  He'll start preschool next year and then I'll be free for a couple of days a week.  I won't know what to do with myself.  Oh yes, I do..... I'll just enjoy some peace and quiet.