10. The house is quieter during the day
9. The house is messier.
8. Laundry is building up.
7. Disney Channel is no longer automatically "on" after 4:00 because its viewers in our house are doing homework
6. There are fast food wrappers in the trash after dinner.
5. Checks are running out (fee for this, fee for that).
4. You can't find a sharpened pencil in the house to save your life.
3. Empty stationery supply aisles at Target.
2. One word: TRAFFIC!
1. Suddenly and out-of-the-blue, your kids seem "smarter"!
8. Laundry is building up.
7. Disney Channel is no longer automatically "on" after 4:00 because its viewers in our house are doing homework
6. There are fast food wrappers in the trash after dinner.
5. Checks are running out (fee for this, fee for that).
4. You can't find a sharpened pencil in the house to save your life.
3. Empty stationery supply aisles at Target.
2. One word: TRAFFIC!
1. Suddenly and out-of-the-blue, your kids seem "smarter"!
Obviously, I made all those up. Yes, school has begun! One of the biggest and most positive changes at school this year is uniforms. This is my 9th year at the school where I am the Elementary Principal. In all those years, we have only had a strict "dress code," which of course is always difficult to police. I had parents constantly coming to me, asking why we didn't have uniforms. Last year, I decided to form an exploratory committee made up of teachers and parents. We found a uniform company and styles that we felt fit perfectly with our school. The uniforms are really more of an official "school attire" than actual "uniforms," because we gave our students and families several mix-and-match choices in both style and color. So far, it has worked out beautifully. The kids all look great, and the parents are thankful (including Susan) that there is no longer a "fight" in the morning over what will be worn at school that day.
The next biggest change, which is still to come next week, is that the school is taking its own school pictures. I'm nervous about it, but I think it'll turn out fine. We found a company that assists schools with this by selling us the equipment and giving us pointers with sample pics that we send to them. What's great about it all is that the profits are almost totally and completely ours!
The kids are adjusting well to getting back to the school routine. Emily is in Fourth Grade, in a Third-Fourth Combination class and Matthew is in First Grade, in a First-Second Combo. Combo classes are never our school's first choice just for P.R. reasons, but we've done it before and our teachers do a terrific job with it. We do Combo classes out of necessity when we don't have enough students at a particular grade level to create an extra class. Both public and private schools across California are experiencing a drop in Elementary-age enrollment. For private schools, our toughest challenge is the economy as it affects people's ability to pay tuition. This year, our Elementary school has two straight Kindergartens, one straight First Grade, one First-Second Combo, one straight Second Grade class, one straight Third Grade, one Third-Fourth Combo, one straight Fourth Grade, and two straight Fifth Grade classes.
Oh yeah. Here's a picture of Emily and Matthew on the first day of school, in their terrific uniforms!
The next biggest change, which is still to come next week, is that the school is taking its own school pictures. I'm nervous about it, but I think it'll turn out fine. We found a company that assists schools with this by selling us the equipment and giving us pointers with sample pics that we send to them. What's great about it all is that the profits are almost totally and completely ours!
The kids are adjusting well to getting back to the school routine. Emily is in Fourth Grade, in a Third-Fourth Combination class and Matthew is in First Grade, in a First-Second Combo. Combo classes are never our school's first choice just for P.R. reasons, but we've done it before and our teachers do a terrific job with it. We do Combo classes out of necessity when we don't have enough students at a particular grade level to create an extra class. Both public and private schools across California are experiencing a drop in Elementary-age enrollment. For private schools, our toughest challenge is the economy as it affects people's ability to pay tuition. This year, our Elementary school has two straight Kindergartens, one straight First Grade, one First-Second Combo, one straight Second Grade class, one straight Third Grade, one Third-Fourth Combo, one straight Fourth Grade, and two straight Fifth Grade classes.
Oh yeah. Here's a picture of Emily and Matthew on the first day of school, in their terrific uniforms!
