Kindergarten Roundup!

Help! I mean, ‘hello’ from week three, of who knows how many, of virtual kindergarten. Am I silly to count? Likely, but joining the virtual meetings on time with smiles on our faces & completing the school work both virtually and on paper work sheets each day feels like a major accomplishment once dinner time commences so we will continue to count the weeks for the foreseeable future. 

Pre pandemic Mario was in nearly full day pre school. Mid March when the world shut down. His schools followed suit. Like so many parents Mike and I were suddenly at home with our kid, no child care or relief. Two full time working parents that all of the sudden were transitioning to full-time zoom and full-time child entertaining, educating, feeding, etc. It was insane. It was at times ‘WTF pull my hair out’ and in between small moments of ‘wow I get to cuddle this kid, make and feed him every meal’. Please make this stop.

Flash forward September 2020 and Mario is enrolled in our neighborhood public school with a class of 17 students all tuning in to the morning meeting from their respective dining room tables with their grownups along for the bumpy ride.

But let me back up for a bit. What you must understand is that Mario has been looking forward to kindergarten for two whole years. As a three and a half year old he saw the big kids in his pre school graduate to kindergarten. Walking across the stage of the community center receiving print out diplomas, bubble wands and faux flower leis from the pre school teachers. He was fascinated, fixated truly, with the transition and would incessantly ask about when his turn to graduate and go to kindergarten would finally be here. So, as you can imagine he was disappointed to learn that a pandemic pre school graduation looked quite different than he had seen in years past. The June 2020 pre school graduation was a reunion of sorts. We had not been back to school since March and then returned to the school parking lot for a socially distanced hang with his five teachers. Kids were scheduled in 20 minute increments so as not to overlap or impede on each other. Thankfully the diplomas, bubble wands and faux flower leis were still part of the festivities.

Over the summer we found a small school that was taking covid super seriously with many protocols and had room for Momo in their 5’s class. So June thru August he was back in routine. So happy to be in a school environment and with peers. We were very happy too. He only went three days a week but it provided the structure our family needed to be able to work from home and give Momo all the attention and community he needed.

But as the summer school year ended I knew I had to break it to Momo that his kindergarten experience was going to be quite different. On a drive home from his summer school one day I broke it down for him. I told him kindergarten would take place at home, on the computer but the good news was he was going to get the chance to ‘have meetings’ just like mom and dad. He surprisingly took it pretty well. 

The week before school started we did a socially distant teacher meet & greet in our backyard. It was important and great to meet her in person. Glad the school offered this. She gave him a packet of paperwork and a few school supplies: scissors, a single pencil & package of crayons. 

Two weeks down, school has been underwhelming. I am reminding myself daily (hourly) to have grace for these teachers who never ever expected to have to teach this way. I also try not to dwell too much on the fact that this was all AVOIDABLE, if only we had a more competent & caring presidential administration. Another thing I remind myself daily is that we have it really easy compared to a lot of families. Since I am now not working full-time I can dedicate myself to the schooling and making sure that everything happens and is completed as it should be. Parents with full-time jobs and/or multiple kids, I cannot imagine. Sending you so much praise and in awe of you all. I know this school situation would not be possible were I still working my old gig. 

I have a lot I could say about the way the day is structured and the organization of the curriculum but ultimately I am not an educator. Just a highly opinionated marketer/mom. So I reserve my right to my opinion in respect of the educators and know this is hard for everyone. But give me a few more weeks and maybe I will develop a ‘five things I would do as an online kindergarten teacher’. Better yet a ‘five things I would not do!’.

What have been your biggest takeaways from virtual school? Anything you are doing that makes it easier?

More soon on here and likely IG xx ly & momo & peanut butter bear (below)