Em's new elementary school does staggered entry for kindergartners, which means they have small groups start each day of the first week and only go on that day so the teacher has more individual time with each student and the kids aren't so overwhelmed. We got a letter the week before school started to let us know her teacher assignment and what day/time our orientation was. We went in the week before school started for a teacher introduction and tour of the school. Em was so very excited that morning!
Mick had already gone in to work that morning, so he met us there. Em was proud that she could show us around the school after her tour!
This is the doorway to her classroom from the kindergarten hallway. Her school, Harrisburg Elementary, was just built in 2014 and this is only the second year it's been open, so everything is still shiny and new. The parents had time with the teachers (Mrs. Cole and Mrs. Wright) and went over handbooks and expectations while the kids toured the school.
Em's actual staggered first day was on August 18. The school does have a dress code, which Em is excited about for now, but we'll see how long that lasts! She was at least cooperative enough to strike a few poses for my pictures.
I think this one is my favorite--she just looks so grown up!
This was after we got to school--we were able to park and walk her in for the first day, which was nice for all of us.
She remembered right where her classroom was without hesitation, and was quite happy to carry in her empty backpack and matching (full) lunchbox.
And this is her classroom! They wore name tags the first day (probably so the teachers could learn their names).
They start at 7:15 each morning and get out at 2:00. Rainbow Station, Em's preschool, also has a separate building ("The Village") where they hold an after school program and they have a bus that picks up at Harrisburg. Because her preschool was in Charlotte and we're just across the SC border, she's not in kindergarten with any of her old friends, so we really like that she still sees a lot of them in the afternoons. She will have a good 2 hours or so at Rainbow Station in the afternoons before I pick her up each day, and they give them a lot of choices about how to spend their time. I like that she'll have some less structured play at the end of each day, and that she gets to be in control of what she does. She came home the first day and said kindergarten was awesome and she loved it!
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