back to school

canon digital rebel xsi

It has always amused me when back to school time rolls around, and people talk about how much they have to do to get their kids ready. I think it is because on more than one occasion we literally just showed up. Take for example, when I entered the sixth grade:

The summer before sixth grade we moved to a nearby town. It wasn't that far away, but too far to go back to our school. We spent most of that summer on the east coast with our father and grandmother. I am not even sure the topic of where we were going to school in the fall came up. I just remember that one morning my Mom told us to put on our old uniforms, and get in the car - she didn't want to be late for work.

As it turned out, we were a bit tardy already. For starters, school had started at least a week prior. Also as we noticed students rushing off to class, it was clear we were going to be an interruption. First though, we had to be enrolled.

My Mom explained that she was running late to work, and so was happy to fill out any necessary forms later - just send them home with the girls. Not so fast - you can't just show up with your daughters and enroll them in this Catholic school - we have a waiting list - some family have been on for years.

Clearly my Mom did not get that memo, and she quickly moved from talking to the secretary to the principal, who was a nun. Needless to say she was a bit shocked at my mother's request as well. Again, my Mom cut off her list of why this wasnt going to happen, explaining the job she had to get to, and pulled out my report card.

The principal reviewed it, seeming to calm down with each "A" and glowing comment she read. I remember her looking up, and saying okay, but what about the other one. With some reluctance, my Mom handed over my sister's report card. Let's suffice to say, it was far from glowing.

Now the bargaining began. The principal explained that while she could find room for me, she didn't think the fifth grade (my sister's level) could be as accommodating.

With little hesitation, my mother explained that this was a package deal. If she was willing to accept me, she had to also admit my sister (she didn't have time to go to another school - remember that job she had that was paying for tuition). Yes, the woman had chutzpah.

There was a bit more negotiating, and in the end we were both admitted to Our Lady of Fatima. My sister was basically on super secret probation. As the deal was finalized, I recall the principal looking sternly at my sister, and telling her that she would be watching her. I wanted to pee in my pants by this point.

My mom then took off to her job, and we were each escorted to our new classrooms, where we were introduced, once more, as the new girls in school. I think we may have had some paper and pens, and maybe even a backpack to carry it in. I have a vague memory of our grandmother taking us to K-mart and buying some school supplies for us before we headed home. I am not sure if we had packed lunch though. I think my Mom thought we could buy something at the cafeteria, but alas, this school had none.

Class was already in session, and I felt so out of place. Not only was my uniform the wrong color, it was also the wrong style. In most Catholic elementary schools, girls in first through fifth grades wore a jumper. When you moved into sixth grade, you wore a skirt and blouse. It was a big deal. Oh yeah, great way to start off the school year. Did I mention we missed a week too?^*

Somehow we got uniforms and books. We figured out any missing essential school supplies. Rumors started flying about regarding things my sister was doing down the hall. Notes were starting to arrive home about her bad behavior. To this day, I have no idea exactly what she did, although I did hear some pretty crazy stories from a couple of my classmates that also had siblings in my sister's class. After a few warnings, and last chances, she was asked to leave, or be kicked out. My Mom opted to remove her, and my sister was enrolled at the local public school mid-year.

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^*It didn't really matter, as most of my 30 other classmates had been together since the first grade. I was definitely an outsider.

on the night stand :: That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo