We did it. All the kids went to school yesterday, and I was able to go to school with them to do what needed to be done. I even picked up our school IDs.
The day itself wasn't great. I was able to attend the assembly in honor of Mahatma Gandhi, but in the process missed the Kindergarten parents meeting. I think that's OK, when I did finally make it the parents were all up in arms over not knowing what stage of hiring the school was at. One of the Kindergarten teachers is leaving over the winter break and a replacement still isn't set. I just stayed quiet in the background, listening. Hiring a new teacher is a lengthy process, but a thorough one and I've no doubt that someone qualified will be found.
The assembly was fun to watch. The 4th graders put on a play/narrative on Gandhi's life, a quartet of high schoolers sang "Seasons of Love" (which put me a little on guard... as I walked into the gym a group of 3rd graders were singings "five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes" and I checked with the teacher to make sure "Rent" wasn't part of the curriculum), and after a lengthy discourse on cancer from a survivor who shared the microbiology of the disease along with pleadings for checks after the age of 40 (remember.. the audience was elementary and high school kids), two high schoolers performed a trumpet and sax duet of one of Gandhi's favorite songs.
I had the rest of the day to meander until the 5th grade project presentations on _A Single Shard_. I read through a "Popular Photography" magazine in the library and understood again how clueless I really am about this photography thing. Feeling pitiful, I spotted the 5th graders through the window on the soccer field, so I plopped in the grass to watch them dribble the soccer ball around. Until the water break all was well, but it was destined to tick off the teacher when the class dallied getting back. Rather than have every kid bring their water bottle to the field for quick drinks, he allows them to leave the field, pass the gym and circuit the pool to reach a water fountain. All together now: *SMACK forehead* As punishment, they sat on the field doing nothing for the rest of the period. No hats, full sun at 11:45 a.m.
I poked through the Diwali sale held in the Black Box theater room. Lovely jewelry priced into the nearly $1000 range. Tops, skirts and Sari sets. While the jewelry was tempting, I stuck with a $10 top with buttons and sequins. It's lovely, really.
After spending lunch with Jonathon (and getting to finish his Thai food), I was sucked into helping in the Kindergarten class. Each Friday, a group works to whip up a little treat for the class. This being "L" week, the treat was lemon bars. I don't know who picked it, but even on my best days with all the ingredients and perhaps an accomplished chef at my side, I can't make lemon bars. Put me in a class with four 5 year olds, a lack of proper ingredients, no 9x9 baking dish, and an inability to use the oven and the mixer at the same time, the result was a disaster. Without baking powder or the use of the mixer while the crust baked, the lemon topping was a runny mess. With only a 13x9 dish the ingredients didn't fit the pan and the oven baked one side of the crust more than the other, leaving half burnt. Quite the disaster. Somehow I knew and had asked our cook to make lemon squares at home. I'll send those in to the class with Jonathon on Monday as compensation.
Oh, and I need to send a note to his teachers anyway. They spell his name wrong.
After escaping Kindergarten (and an oath to stick with Thursdays when they're in the library), I chatted with Marjorie (our neighbor) as we made our way to the 5th grade classroom. The presentations were good, if repetitive. Katherine's group did a portion of the setting of the story. She didn't like the book, which is something for Katherine since she'll read just about anything, so her heart wasn't in the project.
The day was finally over, and none too soon. It's always good to chat with the teachers and make my face known on campus, though the Kindergarten teachers may put a bar on my entering their classroom any time soon.
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