This friend..

This friend is always looking out for others and so eager to help others. He is often the first to volunteer to help whenever help is needed. He cares a lot about his friends and cares about trying his best in his schoolwork. He is very polite - you can often see him holding doors for children or adults as they are leaving the building. The great thing about this friend is the pride I see in him when he helps others.

That is what Keith's teacher had to say when she presented him with his award on Friday for caring. I must say, I am VERY proud of him!!

So proud!

Keith came home from school today with the usual pile of papers. In the middle of the pile was a folded piece of paper which said "to the parent/guardian of Keith Borrelli." Uh oh. Growing up letters addressed to my parent/guardian were NEVER good. So I opened it. And it said...

To the Parents/Guardians of: Keith
You are invited to our Spirit Assembly on Friday, January 30th at 10:00 (AM class) 2:00 (PM class). Your child has been selected to receive a special award for showing the character trait of Caring this month. Please do not tell your child, it is supposed to be a surprise. It would be wonderful if you or a family member could attend. Please confirm that you received this note and let me know if you will be able to attend. Congratulations - you have a right to be very proud of your little one!

Well. Isn't that enough to make you tear up? I think that parent/guardian letter is going into the baby book! And I will definitely be at the Spirit Assemby on the 30th! Way to go Keith!

Congratulations are in order!

To Keith's school! His elementary school was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education. Way to go Chadds Ford Elementary!!! What IS a Blue Ribbon School, you ask? Well, I didn't know either, so I hit up my trusty friend, google. And here is what I found, from the Department of Education's website:

The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels. In addition to being honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC, where each school receives a plaque and flag signifying their status, these schools serve as models for other schools throughout the nation.

I must say, I'm impressed.

It's that time of year...

Fundraising time!! Woo hoo! Can you hear the sarcasm? Anyways, it's fundraising time for Keith's (ahem public) school. So if you need wrapping paper, or magazines, or chocolate (how do all those go together??) feel free to order it from Keith. If you don't need wrapping paper, or magazines, or chocolate, feel free to still order it from Keith! He won't mind! There's even prizes if he sells certain amounts. Of course, I didn't show him the prize list. Do you think if I close my eyes and sing la la la la la this fundraiser will go away?

And no, I'm not going to get started on fundraisers and school taxes. Not going to do it. Nosireebob.

Guess who is Keith's homeroom mom???

Why, yes, it IS me!! And no, I DON'T have a damn clue as to what a homeroom mom does.

I guess he liked it...

It's 8:30am, and Keith has asked me twice already if it's time to go wait for the school bus. The school bus which arrives at 12:12pm. I think it's going to be a long morning for Keith!

First day of KINDERGARTEN!!!!

It was Keith's very first day of Kindergarten today! I can't believe he's actually in school - this day seemed so far away when he was Caroline's size! He was very excited to ride the bus, and waited outside for it for over an hour. I kept telling him I'd tell him when it was time, but I guess he didn't believe me. Grandma came to see him get on the bus, too, then insisted that I go to the school to meet him when it arrived. He was happy to see me there - I even got a hug! - but wanted to walk to his class by himself with all of his new friends. He's just so big - before I know it he'll be driving! And no, I didn't cry!

I found it!

The birth certificate! I only waited until MONDAY to start looking for it, but I found it, with Henry's social security card and birth certificate. I still haven't found the lease, but there's one good thing about renting from your parents - you can get them to print up a lease any old time. I'll be picking that up tomorrow.

If you were a birth certificate, where would you be??

Keith starts school on Tuesday - first day of Kindergarten! That is, if I can get my act together and find my lease and his birth certificate. I *used* to have his and Henry's birth certificates together in a safe spot, but then we moved. And now, well, I forget where I put them. Oops. Fortunately my office isn't that large, so I should be able to find them relatively quickly, if I just started looking for them. Note to self - start looking. Preferably before Tuesday morning.

Registering for kindergarten...

Otherwise known as more paperwork than I filled out to get into college! I ran over to the elementary school Keith will be going to yesterday and picked up the registration paperwork. Oh. My. Goodness. I feel like I'm back in school taking final exams! To be accepted into kindergarten, they need the following:
1. Registration Form
2. Proof of Residency in the District
3. Birth Certificate
4. Affidavit of Support (if applicable) (I don't even know what this is, so I'm going to assume it's not applicable)
5. Physical & Current Immunization Record

Whew. I'm tired just typing that out. I know, I know, it doesn't look like much. But trust me, it is. There's the registration form - name, address, parents, emergency contacts, you know, the basic drill. Then there's the "Home Language Survey" where they need to know what language(s) the child speaks, and if the student "has attended any United States school in any 3 years during his/her lifetime". That confused me too, so I skipped it. What's a United States school? A school in the US? Why don't they just SAY that? Anyways, I skipped it. Then there's the consent to let them take pictures of your child, then the "Parental Registration Statement" which the parent fills out and says whether or not said child has ever been (or is currently) suspended and/or expelled. I really hope that they give this to students entering ALL grades, not just kindergarten. Then we have the "Consent to Release Student's Records Request for Permission to Collect Personal Data." I feel like there's some punctuation missing in that title. I didn't understand that form, either, so I skipped it too. I think it had something to do with Special Education. I guess they'll tell me if Keith NEEDS it filled out, right? Then there's the health history that the parent fills out. Two pages. Then there's two pages of health history that the doctor fills out. AND the one page dental history that the dentist fills out. And a "Medical Statement for Children with Special Needs in Child Nutrition Programs" - I skipped this one, because Keith eats anything and everything. Then a form about school buses, an immunization record form (Pennsylvania has a Medical and a Religious Exemption, and the Religious Exemption includes a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief - it's on the back of the green immunization card), and then the last form. I needed help on this one! It's the "Parental Input for Student Placement Form." It's a piece of paper divided into four boxes. In each box is a question (does this sound like some crazy math word problem yet?!?). Actually it's not a question, it's an unfinished sentence which I, as the parent, am supposed to complete.
1. As a person, my child is:
2. As a learner, my child is:
3. My child would benefit from a classroom that is:
4. My three main expectations for the school year are:
I think my main problem with that page is it REALLY makes me feel like I'm back in school, and honestly, December 9th, 1997 was one of the top ten days of my life. For those of you who couldn't figure out (thanks, but really, I'm not that young!), that was the last day I ever set foot into a classroom in college. Last day of school, last day of finals, you've got it.

I thought I was done!