Kiddo starts kindergarten tomorrow. I loved the school at orientation back in April, but we had the open house today and I felt really let down. Her classroom is very sparse - no decorations, almost no toys that I could see, compared to other kinder classrooms. Kiddo's first question was "do they play here?" The lead teacher is on maternity leave until November (which might be the reason why everything felt so sterile?) and we are in an 80% low income school, so resources are tough anyway, so I'm trying to not let it all color my perceptions. The sub they have didn't seem very warm and welcoming. I appreciate teachers more than anything and I know most of that personalized stuff often comes from their own pockets, and I really am making no assumptions, but I also want my kid to love school and have fun and everything today just made me feel more anxious than excited. I've been talking it up to her as much as possible, and hopefully it's all for naught, but I'm admittedly feeling pretty emotional right now, so just wanted to vent a bit. Hope everyone's kiddos are having a great back to school!
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@Mrs. Carrot: oh I am so sorry to hear this! I know you have had some differences with your previous school/care experiences for your child and it must be hard to feel like this isn’t going the way you hoped already!
My DD is in 1st now but I was surprised about how many feelings I had about starting her kinder last year. It is really the start of this new set of experiences for them that are important and formative and you want to start off on the right foot!
I wonder if the sub felt unsure how to handle an open house and opted to err on the side of firm? We have a teacher who is new to the school for part of DD’s day this year and I noticed the same thing about her room. But DD didn’t and is enjoying her time in that classroom. It helped to remember that she doesn’t necessarily have expectations about how it is supposed to go. I am guessing you picked this program because it was a good fit so hopefully there will be some play/project activities.
Good luck!
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Our pre-k doesn’t decorate classrooms at all at the beginning of the year - the classroom starts as a blank slate and then is slowly decorated all year with the kid’s creations. It looks a little depressing in September but amazing in June, and the kids love that it’s “theirs.” Maybe that’s the plan? Sorry you were disappointed
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@Madison43: I hope so, and I know it can be very individual with the teachers. The other K classrooms were definitely much more personalized, and definitely seemed to have more toys, which is actually the part I worry about more, I just hope it doesn't get too academic too fast.
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@Mrs. Carrot: ahhh I totally would feel anxious and a little disappointed too!! Especially because it's kindergarten and you so want her intro to school to be a good one. But I'm willing to bet it will all work out- my kid goes to a very sparse pre-school (waldorf) and sometimes in a classroom, more is less, especially with kindergarteners. I'm a teacher and believe this as well. She will have tons of stimulation and new buddies and I'm sure once the regular teacher comes back it will improve. Best of luck and keep us updated.
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Awe I hope it goes okay!
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@Mrs. Carrot: I'm so sorry. I kind of know what you're going through. Xander is starting Kindergarten this year too, and we actually went to the school yesterday to find out who his teacher will be. I thought there would be more information, but there wasn't and apparently they won't be communicating anything before school starts. It's giving me so much anxiety, especially because I still don't really know how I'm supposed to sign him up for the hot lunch or ensure that he doesn't ingest his allergen on that first day. I'll admit I cried for an hour after because I'm feeling so anxious about it.
I hope both our fears are for naught and everything goes well for our kiddos!
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I’m so so sorry - I’m also having some of the same feelings, we’ve had a lot up in the air about kindergarten and I’m currently trying to get through to the school to get some information and ask if my son can be in a class with our neighbour and I called literally 15 times yesterday and every time got a recording that they’re closed for the summer and will reopen August 27 at 9am. I’m trying to tell myself that my son has no expectations and so he’s not going to be disappointed, everything that I’m feeling is on me, and trying really hard not to project or push my nervousness and worry onto him, but all I have to offer you is sympathy.
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@Mrs. Carrot: I think if you are concerned about the sparseness of the classroom, the best thing you can do is help furnish it! We go to K in a pretty wealthy area but even still our teacher told us early on about her need for donations. Our teacher had tons of toys and imaginative play, but last year was her first year and she took over from a teacher who had been there for decades and told us there were literally books in the classroom that said things like “one day, we might go to the moon!”. So that first week I bought her an Amazon gift card, and asked that she please let me know what other needs she has because I didn’t want her having to spend her own money. Your willingness to help will likely also help you build a warmer bond with her.
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@Adira: we don’t have the allergen issue but I was also super confused/concerned about the lunch situation, but they got us all the info we needed on the first day! Our school actually has an online system where we just periodically dump money in her lunch account so it’s super easy! And the second day of school our teacher sent an email to all parents with our class’ allergy list and it’s definitely something that was taken seriously.
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We struggled with our K experience because we had a new first year teacher who started after the first week. She was still setting up class, getting things figured out etc.
Have you gotten information about the school and the schedule? Our PTO holds a new parent meeting to go over things like bus schedule, lunches, recess etc.
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Kindergarten gets very academic very fast, there isn't a lot of time for playing. There is in class recess that is leveraged when the kids can't go outside, but that was it in my recent experience with my son's school.
I actually prefer a sparsely decorated room, it can be sensory overload for some kids, so try to look at it from that angle.
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@Truth Bombs: Thanks! I know our school also has an on-line system to pay for lunch, but we haven't received any information about it yet (I assume we will on the first day). I actually just called the school to talk to the nurse, but apparently they aren't back in until the day before school starts. It just feels like I'm not going to have any opportunity to talk to ANYONE prior to the start of school to ensure that Xander is well taken care of, allergy-wise. (And don't get me started on his asthma... I literally can't think about that yet)
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@Adira: Have you tried emailing the teacher and principal directly. With our elementary school, that was the best way to get answers and both our teacher and principal are responsive. Since this is a matter of health and not just a frivolous question, I'd think they'd be willing to discuss prior to school starting.
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@Adira: I would try to go into the front office and see who you can speak with. Obviously you'll need to follow back up with the teacher and nurse, but they should be able to give you an overview of the general procedures.
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@kiddosc: @T.H.O.U.: Thanks! I had emailed the principal during the summer, but she just said to come in once they were back in the office. Unfortunately, I was there yesterday and no one could answer my questions. I guess I have to come in during their school hours, which I'm at work during, so I can't. And the nurse, who's the one who can answer most of my questions, isn't back in until the day before school starts. I haven't tried emailing Xander's teacher, but she was at the school yesterday and wouldn't talk to me. My friend, who is a teacher, told me that they aren't allowed to do any school work until Friday, based on their contracts, so that's probably why she wouldn't talk to me.
This whole thing is just frustrating and stressful!
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@Truth Bombs: I definitely plan to contribute in any way I can but as I mentioned, the primary teacher is on leave until November so I’m guessing the sub isn’t going to make the classroom more personal. Which is fine. As I’ve been processing all this, I’m realizing that my reaction is really to how stark the shift from PreK to K seemed to be because the classroom was so stark. The other rooms at the school had toys and just more life and color. My daughter’s felt sterile and academic and my biggest concern was always that shift from a play environment to an academic one, so I think my anxiety is really over that. It didn’t feel so stark in the other rooms.
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@Mrs. Carrot: are you able to volunteer as a class mom and maybe with the help of other moms add some decorations to the class?
I can understands how you feel 100% we have been fortunate for kinder ans 1st grade to get a teacher that is really enthusiastic and goes all out and keeps the class looking great. I would also be disappointed if I were in your shoes -
@Mrs. Carrot: I felt a little like that the first day of TK, and that's in a nice area. But it actually worked out that the teacher had things for them to always be doing and my kid loved school and learned a lot. I'd definitely ask the teacher what she'd like you to do. She may be leaving some parts of the walls blank for students work, especially if theres an open house coming up after the start of school. Good luck! I see a lot of this trend- not trend but just parents on here being apprehensive about the start of K- on HB. Public elementary is just a different world than private preschool, but it can be really great too.
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Oh, and also.. I'd definitely give her time. She's a sub and may not have even been hired until recently?
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@2littlepumpkins: Thank you for that. I am really surprised how hard it hit me. I always loved school and kiddo loved preK and I really had no anxiety at all up until yesterday when we did the classroom visit. We had a great orientation in April and loved the school, so this reaction honestly really took me by surprise. I'm the perpetually overprepared type so I prepared for everything (tiredness, kiddo's anxiety, etc) but definitely underestimated my own response.
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My oldest just started public school Kinder recently (we started August 1st
) and I was also very apprehensive and felt a disconnect with the school. We've been in this same private preschool for 4 years and it was different atmosphere and environment. Like private preschool, parents were told everything and given the handbooks and explained in detail drop offs, carpools, lunches, etc. For public school, you just have to kind of figure it out as you go. Honestly, I asked my neighbors and other moms who had kids in the school for a lot of the information. But I trust the public school system and my LO is loving it. At open house, things were bare too but we also just had our curriculum night and there was definitely a difference with all the kids stuff filled up on the walls.
hope your child had a great day!
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@Mrs. Carrot: Seems like a good sign when you saw the regular teacher and the class in action and liked it.
It really is a tough transition with preschool ratios being better and just the environment having a different focus. I hope it gets better soon!
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@Mrs. Carrot: I understand! My LO just started in kindergarten yesterday. His teacher seems great and warm, but after school he a little upset because they only got a small amount of free play. And I had to explain that kindergarten would be different, which made me sad because I really want him to enjoy being at school and for learning to be fun. And I'm sure it will be, but it is a big adjustment from his play-based preschool.
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@Chuckles: the good news is, the kiddo appears to have had a great day and wasn't nearly as phased by the shift as I clearly was LOL. They didn't get much recess either because it was 105 here, and she's been itching for physical activity, but she seemed to understand why they couldn't go to the playground and excited that it'll get better in the next few days. It's really hard not having the same sense of information flow we did with preK, so that's going to be a major adjustment for me, to be able to talk to her about how things are different without really knowing their flow.
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I'm so happy to see your update. I wanted to chime in and say that I was initially disappointed in my daughters K teacher (the others seemed so much nicer, more "kindergarteny") but my daughter LOOOOVED her. I never really connected with the teacher and even at the end of the year was kind of like "shrug?" but my daughter learned a ton, had so much fun and said things like, "mom, I feel so bad for the other kids because they aren't in Mrs. X's room"
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@merriment: That's really good to know! I recall really liking the primary teacher when we met her in April, but we won't get to see her until after she's back from leave, and so far kiddo definitely seems comfortable with the sub and the co-teacher, so fingers crossed! Her experience is what I care about most.
I hope both our fears are for naught and everything goes well for our kiddos!
) and I was also very apprehensive and felt a disconnect with the school. We've been in this same private preschool for 4 years and it was different atmosphere and environment. Like private preschool, parents were told everything and given the handbooks and explained in detail drop offs, carpools, lunches, etc. For public school, you just have to kind of figure it out as you go. Honestly, I asked my neighbors and other moms who had kids in the school for a lot of the information. But I trust the public school system and my LO is loving it. 
It really is a tough transition with preschool ratios being better and just the environment having a different focus. I hope it gets better soon!
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