Monday, September 4, 2017

First Grade

It's happening! In two days, Trinity will be starting at a real-life, public, big-kid elementary school. This is both terrifying and exciting for us all. She's somehow worried that since she doesn't know anyone, no one will like her. I understand this feeling, being the introvert that I am, but she is the most outgoing, friendly child I have ever met. It usually takes her less than two minutes to become best friends with random children at the park or one table over at a restaurant. To her, no one is a stranger and everyone is a friend. She is the perfect kidnap victim.

Normal children might be scared of this. She was obsessed. Would have followed him anywhere.


Anyway, she is now #2 on the waiting list for the French immersion school we were hoping to get her into. I'm not sure what that means, or if she'll end up getting in at some point after school starts. She has a pretty solid friend base at the French school, so I'd probably move her over mid-year and not feel too bad about it, but if there's one thing I hate, it's uncertainty. The neighborhood school she's enrolled in has their parent orientation from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, because apparently parents at this school don't have jobs. So I need to take an hour off work in the middle of the day to go find her classroom, meet her teacher, learn how drop off and pick up work, and also about the teacher's bathroom policy.



Why would I need to know their bathroom policy, you ask? Well, let me tell you. The first reason is that my child goes pee A LOT. Especially if she is nervous, or scared, or anything like that. The second is much more traumatic. As her kindergarten year was coming to a close, and the teacher was on the eve of her retirement, my mother was met at the door one day as she went to get Trinity from school. The teacher had a bag of Trinity's clothes and tried to tell Mom that "Trinity had an accident," like it was no big deal. My child has not peed her pants since she was 2 years old and potty training. she's not a bed wetter or an accident haver. She's basically a tiny adult. In fact, I can guarantee that I have peed my pants more in the last couple years than she has. Luckily, my mother was astute enough to simply state that Trinity does not have accidents. The teacher, in some moment of poor judgment that I will never be able to understand, told my mother:
 "To be honest, she asked to go. But I said NO because the kids were pissing me off today. They were being snarky."
Let that sink in for a moment. Also keep in mind that at any given time, there were only 8-10 kids in that classroom. So, due to her poor classroom management skills, and ability to control her temper, my kid was forced to hold her bladder for lord knows how long, because the teacher was simply pissed off. The thought of my daughter sitting there trying her best to hold it for a prolonged period of time, until she couldn't anymore, still makes my blood boil and breaks my cold heart.  Oh, and then once it happened, she shamed her in front of the entire class for creating a wet spot on the floor.

Not that there's a good child to treat like shit, but if there's one kid you don't want to fuck with, it's ours. Trav's rage presents itself overtly and strikes with immediacy, whereas mine is a little more patient and passive aggressive. I will work behind the scenes to take you down. It may be years from now, and you may never know it was me, but it will happen. Also, she's our only one. We literally have nothing else to focus our time and energy on. I don't ask for much when it comes to teachers, and generally respect how they choose to run their classrooms, but I expect my daughter's basic needs to be met, especially when I've paid out the ass for the last 3 years.

The way that the school handled this was questionable at best. We made it very clear that they would never see her again. I put the incident in writing and filed a formal complaint to the director and the board of directors. I also demanded my tuition back, which I got, but only after pointing out that they hadn't deposited my most recent check yet. I received several emails begging me to change my mind and telling me I was confusing Trinity by ripping her away from her friends, as well as a poster that the other children made asking Trinity to come back. That part is still a big WTF for me.


In the end, Trinity got to start her summer vacation a little early, and her sweet little self holds no ill will (that's my job) or understands the gravity of the situation. I imagine she will remember this, and in about 10 years she'll be like, that was effed up. She'll probably feel the same way about the fact that I wrote a blog about it. Sorry Love.

The boat has provided us with many hours and days of entertainment this summer. Trav has become quite proficient at wakesurfing, and even Trinity has been able to stand up on it, and kneeboard. I've never been more proud than I was to watch her hold on to that rope and lean back like I taught her as the boat pulled her around the lake. Right before she took off, she turned to me and admitted that she was scared. I told her she was Trinity Fountain and she could do anything, just lean back! As the boat pulled away I could hear her saying to herself, "I'm Trinity Fountain..."




Since Spring soccer was a bit of a dumpster fire this year, Trinity has opted for dance instead, and will continue with jiu jitsu. She's getting quite good and can legit hold me to the floor skillfully as I struggle to get out of her hold.



One positive to this new school is that it's not nut free, so I am excited for ALL the peanut butter.

Goal for this year: For my kid to make friends with kids who have cool parents so they can play while we drink.

Go get 'em Baby Girl!



2 comments:

  1. I can be that cool parent Katie :) and beat Travis at bowling..ha ha ha

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    1. not unknown but I think you may know who this is :)

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