I'm freaking out on two counts:  1st, I'm a teacher, and I always get very anxious this time of year.  2nd, my daughter is starting JK!  SHe'll be going for full days 2-3 days per week, and I'm worried about her eating her lunch and being afraid to ask to go to the bathroom, thus wetting her pants, and getting along with the other kids and having a nice teacher, etc.  SHe's just so little!  She'll be turning 4 on November 2nd, so she'll be one of the youngest in her class.  It's hard to see her go to school when she's still so small.

While I enjoy being able to stay at home with fireprincess during summer holidays, this sums up my thoughts on back to school......

LOL cf.

I had a chat with Somekid about school at bedtime.  He says that he is a little nervous, but mostly excited.

Even though his music schedule is very busy, I'm kind of looking forward to it.  It will get me back into my walking routine while he's at the music centre.  I'd really like to see him in one of the grade 7 bands.  We'll see.

Is somekid in music lessons? What instruments interest him? (drums perchance ?) Band is totally awesome. I was in school bands as well as marching bands and Drum Corps for 22 years as a member and then as an instructor and music arranger/composer. Yep, I was and still am a band geek.

You can take the geek out of the band but you can't take the band out of the geek.

BAND GEEKS RULE!!!!!

Oh MistsofSpring, (senior) kindergarten was a big enough transition for our 5.5 year old (we don't have JK here in Vancouver). I'll be thinking of you as you see your daughter off on these new adventures and new things for you (and her) to think about and experience. I hope all goes well for both of you!

mystchild starts grade 7 next Tuesday. In Vancouver the school system is K-7 and then high school is 8-12, no middle school. So my son is starting the last year of elementary school. He's been ready to go back since early July so he can be with friends all day - although he also realizes that there are other components to school. The summer has been great, a mix of friend socializing, camps, down time, vacation .... but I know he'll be ready to return to school next week. I was just telling someone today that I'm so happy with the flexible routine, no worries about school work, lunches etc. But - it's time, routine is good too.

Mists of Spring - gosh, that is very young to be starting school.  But I'm sure JK teachers are more than used to dealing with those wonderful, wiggly December boys, and they'll know just how to make sure your little girl feels safe and happy.

Hi Myst!!  I hope grade 7 is a terrific year for your young man!  My little guy starts grade 8 (high school) and I think I'm more anxious than he is.  He's getting resource support for his LD, and I have to just try to walk that fine line between being a supportive, involved parent, and being over-protective and over-involved.  

And I quite agree that BAND GEEKS RULE!!  I was one myself  (French horn - can't get much geekier than that), and my guy got his only A and a lot of joy out of his band program.   He plays the sax, and wants to try trumpet next year.  I'd be totally open to drums.....as long as he practiced somewhere else!

My girl has been in 5th grade for a few weeks now and it's going great. 4th started awful and never really recovered, but it seems to be completelely different this year. My only real negative is I think her backpack is going to break her back. I find it heavy and I'm a healthy adult, I can't imagine a 10 year old lugging it around all day. Still, if she needs her school books we want her to bring them home and get her homework/studying done rather than miss it. Missed assignments were part of the problem last year.

Sept. 1 was the start of high school (grade 10)for my son.

Weird to only have 1 in school-and 2 finished highschool.

cf, gosh I enjoy your humor.  

Here'e one of my favorite back to school commercials with a fella I would really like to meet some day.

cf, he wanted to play drums or trombone and he let the band teacher decide.  They're desperate for brass so she told him trombone.  So now he plays trombone, violin for fun (and for the girl) and viola in the grade 7 orchestra.  He also sings in the boy's choir.  He wants to join the guitar club at school too.  I'm pretty amazed because I didn't suggest any of these things, he begged to join them.   I've raised a music geek that's for sure.  He jammed a couple of times on his viola with a friend who plays cello and drums.

The first day of school went well, except he locked his combination in his locker.  At least it's shared and the other guy gave him his copy.  And I don't have to fill out the forms until the weekend yay.

Can you jam on a viola?  This is hilariously intriguing to me.

We're finished with back to school at our house now ... it used to be somewhat busy, with two kids & husband a teacher.  Now ... just like any other day. 

But it seems like the media is all over this in the last 10 days - and I wonder if it's not creating a lot of angst and anxiety and stress that seems unnecessary.  My husband was commenting last night ... "sheesh ... what's the big deal ... it's just SCHOOL!!"   He said he didn't remember so much hullabaloo about it when he was a kid - you finished holidays, went to sleep, got up & went to school - no biggie.  Now we're seeing so many stories about preparing the children, worrying over every little detail ... seems exhausting.  I know it's an important day, but are we going over the top?  Just wondering, from the other side of the fence ...

Yes, we're going over the top.  People buy backpacks to replace perfectly usable ones; they replace pencil crayons that still work, and buy clothes for fall when its still 30 degrees outside.  I'm not against a new t-shirt or a couple of things that make a nervous kid feel a bit better, but I don't get it!!  I haven't had the luxury of spending tons, so I've gotten used to spending what was needed or spreading it out a bit.  Fair enough some people have lots of money - but use it for something that matters, like some backpacks for homeless kids or even better, homes for homeless kids.  And maybe a weekend camping for labour day to keep the kids outside and relaxed a wee bit longer.

*sigh*   sorry -  my rant for the year :)

Hilary, viola and cello.  I know that they played I'm a Believer and a couple of Beatles tunes.  I can just imagine them rocking out.

Carolla and Birthstone.  I agree about the hoopla over going back to school.  I was excited because Somekid is going to Jr High.  Sometimes I feel like a criminal because he's been using the same backpack for 3 years, I don't buy him a new set of clothes every September and we reuse binders, pencil cases and stuff like that.  And don't even get me started on the way people react when they find out I don't give him a grading present.

Don't worry somegirl I start my 4th year of university in a week and I'm still using the same pencil case I got in grade nine so three years on a backpack is nothing!!

Oh... the same pencil CASE since grade nine... the first time I read through that I thought you said pencil... would have been one heck of a career for a pencil.

It is good to hear that somekid is into music and it is also good to hear that you are encouraging him. Kudos to you for raising a music geek.

WITH THE AID OF THE NINJA MONKEYS, US GEEKS WILL ONE DAY RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!!! MUHAHAHAHA

Ummmmmmm.........you should all probably ignore the part in bold.

Of for sure somegirl - I get that there's some excitement and that's great -  definitely enjoy & celebrate.  We always took pics on the first day ... it's fun to look back at how the kids changed.

I'm finding that  that the media seems to be making people 'scared' about school - parents gotta do this & that just right or else the kids will not manage at all & the whole thing will be a disaster & psychologically traumatizing ... worry, worry, worry, spend, spend, spend ... that's the stuff that bugs me.   I'm with you on the 'your backpack is perfectly fine!' line of reasoning!  and I still keep old binders ... 

sweet dreams tonight everyone!  Have fun at school tomorrow! 

I too don't understand all the expense of back to school.  THe newspaper articles about the clothes and stuff to get.  5 year olds getting manicures???

Replace the worn running shoes and away you go. 

I would  drop the backpacks.  We did with my kids in mid highschool and I totally wished I had years before.  They get so huge and weigh so much.  Because they have the space they keep them stuffed.

My kids started just carrying stuff in their arms, as we did.  My daughter started using a small binder for two subjects and when it was full , she just removed the sheets, previous unit work, and put that stuff in a file stapled together.  It was easier for studying too, just pick up the notes and sheets from unit 1, all stapled together and study.

Then she just had a binder to bring home and perhaps a text book or two.  A small pencil case had just the basics.  Much lighter and easier.  If they have lockers then gym shoes ..... can be left there or on required days it is easy to add a cloth gym bag.

Hey somegirl - I think our boys are the same age, Grade 7 this year, right?? You can tell him he isn't the only one!  Other than a pair of shoes last month which he needed anyway, I've spent (for 2 kids) a grand total of $9.47.  I got lined paper, 1 pk of 24 pencil crayons to top up what they had already, and a few good erasers.  We'll see if anything else is needed.  They are hoping we'll buy a used monitor for our Mac Laptop that has a small screen and is hard to use for a long time. 

My son just bought himself a new, good quality backpack, hoping it will last for a long time.  He is tired of ones that wear out fast.  But his grandparents gave him the money for it. 

My daughter is working at reducing the stuff she carries, like you said, Lastpointe.  She has a better locker location this year and is a bit older & a bit wiser.  Crossing my fingers.

By the way - backpacks shouldn't be more than 15% of bodyweight.

Carolla - I liked what you said about families being made to be scared of school.  The hype lately is ridiculous, and last night our family cheered because we have been living up summer right to the bitter end.  In fact, we started planning a camping trip for the fall too.  School is school - it will happen.  It is the other stuff we need to protect.

First day of school is done. Birthstone I forgot you had a child in grade 7 as well - that's 3 of them 'here'. mystchild was only gone for a while this morning (they just had a hour of check in etc) and he and two friends are here for the rest of the day. We stocked up on food - they are only 12, but these guys eat a lot! mystchild doesn't eat that much compared to some of his friends. I can't seem to have enough food in the house for them.

I actually haven't bought a thing for the new school year. mystchild got new sneakers (growing quickly!) in the summer, he has a lot of t-shirts and shorts which he wears most days of the year, regardless of the weather. I bought him new jeans (again because of growth) at the end of last season in hopes that he will wear pants when the weather gets cold. Surprisingly the backpack has been used for a few school years and is still working. I'm anticipating needing a new one at some point this year. The pencil case is still filled with pencils, pens and pencil crayons. I think the only thing we have to get this week is new soccer cleats - I'm pretty sure last year's will be too small. Oh and I bought him a new stainless steel water bottle early in the summer as well, his old one was pretty dinged up. Not much to do, we're good to go.

About the cost of stocking up on school supplies:  One outreach activity our church participates in is to hold a special school supply distribution day, where children can pick up free binders, backpacks, lunchboxes, pens, etc. It's always very well attended.

Great idea spiritbear!  Do members of your church provide the supplies as donations?  Is it held at your church or at a local school or community centre?  How do people know to come?

myst - lol - I remember those days of huge appetites and huge growing boy feet!  They get so gangly for a while ... then next thing you know they're shaving!  

Glad to hear school was good today.

Shaving --- eeks. I know it'll happen soon enough, but right now it seems so far away. And yes, lots of food was consumed today. mystchild's 12 year old friends are soooo tall, like 5'5" and 5' 6". mystchild is 5'1", which is still slightly shorter than me - not for long ......

We all started school today.  Dad took the girls to their first day and did the dad dance - ie enjoying watching all the moms trip and have freaks and neurosis while being able to use the testosterone factor to do a 'fakey" and slide around to the sidelines.  The oldest is in for a treat of a year.  The youngest is vulnerable because she has a reading disability and is therefore being bullied into being a low achiever. 

Today, while I started a full time program at the local itty university, I saw what I can do with my low achiever . . .  get her employment at a university.  I am so upset with what is going on.  I wrote a letter to the principal and he can start to deal with it. I am not misreading the situation.  It has been very clearly an issue raising it's head over the last year.  There are a few anals on the teaching staff who are very very bad together and this is the result.