Rough start

After the Christmas break the younger kids started at a new school. I was worried about switching Kylie because she has had a hard time in school the last couple years and this year is the first year that she has really excelled. I was not too worried about Kendall, he is very smart and picks up new information and friends quickly. No one wants to uproot their kids so it was really hard to make the choice to switch. The kids were a mix. Kylie was excited for the change and Kendall was NOT.
DAY 1- I took them to school and walked them to their new classrooms. No fanfare, just "Have a good day!" and I left. At the end of the day I got generic, "It was okay" responses. Kendall is in a class with 7 boys and 22 girls! Kylie has 2 new friends and likes her teacher. Oh good. It was a good thing to switch.
DAY 2- I answered the phone at work to hear a sobbing voice. I couldnt even tell who it was or what they were saying. After some coaxing I find Kendall on the phone. He is so upset that I cannot understand what he is saying. The principle takes the phone to talk to me. She tells me that I may not be aware that this school is a "higher learning" school and that Kendall is behind. His teacher is alarmed at how far behind he is in math and they are keeping him after school for an hour. She mentions that Kendall was not "with" his class yesterday. I ask, "What do you mean not 'with' the class?" She responds he was looking around the class and seemed distracted. HELLO!!! IT WAS HIS FIRST DAY IN A NEW SCHOOL WITH NO FRIENDS A NEW TEACHER AND CLASSROOM MATERIAL HE HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE!! I could feel my face getting hot and my mama bear claws coming out. I reply," Well to be honest with you, he does not want to be attending your school. He is a smart kid and he can do anything you teach him. It isn't his fault that he is behind if that is all the further through the book they were at his old school. If he was 'out' of it yesterday, give him a break! It was his FIRST day." Anyway after a long conversation with the principle I got Kendall back on the phone. He was still crying and I tried to calm him down. I told him he was not in trouble and his teacher was very nice to take her own time to help him after school. I went to lunch at the school to try to lift his spirits. Yum cafeteria food. It is amazing those kids dont get sick...they inhale their food! 30 minutes to eat and go to recess. So I picked Kendall up an hour after school got out at 3:45. After a brief meeting with the teacher we were home around 4pm. He took a little break and then started his homework at 6:30. We finished it up at 9:20!!! He was about to have a breakdown by the time we were done. Thank goodness Kelsey was there to help him with his math. I got lost in the whole prime number, improper fraction mumbo jumbo. I praised him for his hardwork and told him tomorrow would be better. (I hope) I felt so bad and really wondered if I had made a mistake by moving them. (by the way I have no hard feelings toward the principle or teacher. They are both very nice and want Kendall to succeed. His teacher will be good for him because he is going to have to work very hard to be responsible and it will be good for him to be challenged at school.) I just wish they had been a little more sensitive those first 2 days.
DAY 3-A good day. A few hours of homework again.
Day 4-Another good day. Kendall forgets to take some of his homework to school. He calls me. If he does not turn it in he has to stay after school for an hour. Hmmmm. I think this is a great way to teach responsibility. I get the homework, take it to Kendall who is waiting in his classroom. I hand over the collateral to free him. I told him that was the first and last time I will bring his work to him. He spent 45 minutes of time this morning playing the wii and he should have spent it making sure all his stuff was packed. He knows that next time he forgets he will have to spend an hour after class. Not so bad to make them learn the hard way. That is how we were all raised. He likes the boys in his class and I am sure he will be fine.