Today marks the start of the fourth week of the school year for Memphis-area folks. Since Kate is our oldest, the past 4 weeks have been a crash course of sorts into life as elementary school parents.
Some things I knew to expect based on my memories of my own youth, coupled with what friends with older kids had warned told me about. But a few other things have been rather unexpected.
4 Things I Now Know about Elementary School*
- The True Purpose of the Requisite Student Backpack The backpacks that need to be large enough to hold a folder, small notebook, change of clothes and towel for nap time are actually meant to hold a 3 ring binder and lots of teacher notes, PTA requests and school fundraiser information. Memphis coupon book, anyone? $25 a pop and funds raised go to more smart boards for the school.
- Being a Room Mom Ain’t What it Used to be Sorry – ahem – I mean “room parent”. What traditionally was a volunteer role that involved planning a mere 3 holiday parties a year has become an unpaid part-time internship to organize and oversee the auction basket, Red Ribbon week, Teacher Appreciation activities, your teacher’s birthday, Christmas and End-of-year gifts, Field Day, the annual field trip and the 3 holiday parties.
- Student Pick-Up Mirrors a Special Ops Mission Badges, colors, car rider numbers, painted squares, clipboards, megaphones, walkie-talkies and a 30-minute lead-time are all part of the precise tactical maneuvers required to get kids into cars to head home at the end of a school day.
- “Because it looks cool” I’m so disappointed this line has already entered Kate’s vocab. I know it was inevitable, but she’s been asking to eat lunch at school because carrying the lunch tray “looks cool”. It’s not about the food, nor buying lunch using her special student ID code. It’s not even a matter of noshing on food that’s more appealing than the healthy turkey sandwich and baby carrots that I send her. Nope. It’s the novelty of holding a partitioned slab of plastic that’s pulling her in.
*While I’m laying a thick coat of sarcasm onto our introduction into the World of Elementary School, I do need to say that I’ve been very pleased thus far. I’m also interested in helping out at school and with its fundraisers.
Do you have school aged kids? What surprised you most when your oldest started school?
Visiting from SITS. In my youngest daughter’s class (1st grade), there is a stay at home dad who volunteers in the room EVERY DAY!! He’s like another teacher!
Wow, every day?! He might as well be hired on as a member of the staff!
Thanks so much for coming by!
When Hayden started school last year it was like HUGE culture shock for me. I am still reeling from that shock.
I just got another fundraiser today. #2 in 4 weeks. And they set them up that if we don’t pony up a certain dollar amount the kid doesn’t get to go to the ice cream social or the carnival!
My son just started Kindergarten the other day, Another mom & I were in the parking lot anxiously wondering WHO was going to step up to be the room mom — of course neither of us hinted it would be fun, cool, nor interesting to volunteer. We need a leader-type!
Last year, our room mom sent update emails every Monday, she organized the sign up of every single class party on the first week of school & rallied 2 volunteer parents for every party to bring food…AND have an activity for the kids. She gave us info from the teacher, she streamlined teacher gifts (whohoo!) by asking $30 from each kid to cover Christmas, birthday & end of the year gifts for both teachers — and then she found a designated shopper mom to do the purchasing.
Room moms Rock! But you’ll never catch me volunteering, I’m not that organized at all.
That’s not a room mom; that’s a master delegator! Good for her though! I bet it went off without a hitch!
No but I’m looking forward to school
That picture of Kate is just too cute. It’s a miracle she can stand up straight!
You are so right! Today her teacher put her lunch tote inside her backpack for some reason. She could barely get into the car with it on her back!
Wow. I have managed to avoid that maelstrom. I always volunteer to do the face painting each Spring though at the carnival. Last year my 7 yr old entered 1st grade equivalent and boy did she have a list of things to fill that backpack of hers!
Now see that sounds fun. SO fun! I want you to come paint Kate’s face!
This post was very informative but also sent me into a panic! Room parent….oh dear. Sounds scary.
Okay now that I got that out, sounds like there will be some great times ahead and lots of opportunity for class interaction.
My son is in a small preschool, I hope I am ready for the big kindergarten next fall. I better start getting ready……
It’s a change for sure! But a good one, too. They learn so much in Kindy!
Those bookbags can get outrageously heavy. Don’t know if your school allows rolling ones, but my v petite 5th grader has one she uses on certain days when the load is too much. And I remember my now senior refusing to wear a bunch of button-down shirts I bought him for kindergarten because “they weren’t cool.” Good luck.
Thanks for the wishes of luck!
They have outlawed the rolling backpacks, actually. But good idea.
What a doll! I love the name Kate too! If I ever had a girl 9which I never will), I would have named her Kate. So classic and smart!
What a whopping list of duties! I would have to say the thing that surprised me the most about school when my oldest started was also “room mom” related. It was very clickish, and closed off to certain moms. I’m pretty social, and usually never feel intimidated about that sort of thing, but it was a little intimidating.
Love that you love “Kate”! And I feel the need to point out that she’s straight-up Kate. No Katherine or anything.
At her school, I guess cuz it requires so much, they are lucky to have 2 moms per class. No one really wants to do it.
Yep, you’ve pretty much nailed it. I hate that “Because it looks cool” think too. I remember my nephew in first grade realizing that he didn’t sit at “the popular table.” Ugh, lessons you wish they didn’t have to learn.
Love this post! And I like how volunteering makes other parents hide from you — they know you’re going to try to recruit them. Well, at least it saves time at pick up when no one will chat with you!
I am super duper curious to see what the count of “volunteers” will be from the mail out me and the other room mom just sent.
My Chicago kids start next week ! I did the room mom and the president of the bilingual parents ass lots and lots and lots of work tons ! I do not remember needing to count to 100 or read in K5 but what do I know ?
Great descriptions! That is pretty much exactly how it is. I have a middle schooler and kindergartener this year. Just survived the MS orientation. Elem back-to-school is on Thursday. I gotta deal with 2 different schools, buses, schedules….OY!
That backpack is as big as she is!
We still have another year until Kinder but I am already so nervous! “Because it looks cool?!” Yikes!
um yeah, i made the mistake of being a room parent last year when my son started kindergarten. What a monumental pain in the *ss! In addition to all of the lovely things you listed, every other week i also had to send out a re-cap of the PTA’s emails/announcements. Because why should people actually read that stuff when it gets issued by the PTA. (rolling my eyes)
Going forward, i’ll be more than happy to provide stuff for the parties or volunteer to chaperone a field trip or two, but I will not be taking up that part time job again.
And the fundraising?! I feel like every time I turn around that school wants me to buy something. Ridiculous!
Love that picture–her backpack is three times bigger than she is!
Too funny! I especially loved #2: Being a Room Mom Ain’t What it Used to be. SO agree! My oldest is in third grade and my middle child has his first day of Kindergarten tomorrow… I learned the hard way about the “advantages” of being a room mom through my oldest. This year, I made sure to not take on more than I could handle with two kids in school and one still at home (well at least I hope I hope I did?… probably not… but I had good intentions??)
My second will hit Kindy in 2 more school years. I’m definitely not going to be signing up again. Such a rookie thing to do, eh?
I don’t know how she holds that backpack up! I worked in a school for long enough to fear the whole fundraising thing.
Whoa! What’s in that backpack? An anvil? ;D
I loved volunteering. I loved being with the kids. And I was there all the time when Adam started school. By the time Sam started, I was three kids in and the novelty had worn completely off!
Beware of burn out.
And I hate fund raisers!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our old school did a “mega party” for any kid selling $60 worth of overpriced Dollar Tree junk or wrapping paper. They had inflatables and snow cones and games. The kids whose parents weren’t willing to buy the stuff(like we did, because, I’m not peddler, sister!) or the families who couldn’t afford or just weren’t willing to peddle the stuff, didn’t get to go to the party. They were stuck in the classrooms while their friends were at a party. It always made me sick.
The school got like half of the profits from the junk. I couldn’t understand why they couldn’t just have an option to donate $30 and let the kids attend the party. Or set a school wide goal in order to have the party.
Made my blood boil. I’d always go with the kids and then walk back to their classes with these happy sweaty little kids and you’d see the group that was probably considered underprivileged sitting there looking sad.
Stepping off Fundraiser soap box now!
Hope y’all have a great year! Those pictures are darling! Love the one of her in the hall! Adorable. Hope she’s enjoying that tasty cafeteria lunch on that bitchin’ tray!