The First Day of Kindergarten

I was a bit anxious about my first day of kindergarten today. Coming down with a cold that threatened laryngitis did not help. The day went well in spite of my fears. Twelve out of thirteen students showed up. They all seemed fairly well behaved on the first day. I am sure that some of them will show their true colors before the week is out. Here are a few highlights:

• "Jay," a potential challenge, has already won my heart. He comes from a sad situation and is now living with grandma. He didn't even know how to sit "Indian style", or "criss-cross applesauce" to use the more politically correct term.
  
• "Jin" is another sweetie. She doesn't know English at all. Her parents did teach her the important words like "teacher" and "pee". I know how she feels to be surrounded by a sea of words that she cannot understand.
  
• "Dee-Dee" comes first when going by last name alphabetically. She's completely lost on how to be a line leader. She was overly concerned about going home and asked several times. Her mom did not send any supplies and that made rest time difficult without a mat. She cried when she didn't have a mat and cried more when I suggested that she just lay her head down on the table. I found her something soft and she was actually one of the few to fall asleep.
• Lunch needs to be rethought. I will have a different plan of action tomorrow. Going through the line, making choices, punching in a lunch code and finding the right tables at the other end of the cafeteria were a few of the challenges. "Jin" ended up with only milk but was able to communicate easily enough that she needed a lunch. "Jay" had a bag lunch and a school lunch. John wondered that I only packed myself a half of a sandwich. I wondered why I thought I would have time to eat so much.
• The worst part of the day occurred after all the students had left. An older child came in and asked if I was "Dee-Dee's" teacher. She informed me that "Dee-Dee" wasn't on the bus. Panic time, internally anyway. I went out searching the buses that were still at the school. Discussed the situation with the vice principal and lead kindergarten teacher. The child had a wrist band and a huge piece of tape that clearly stated she was to be put on bus #ABC. Instead she was put on bus #DEF by the Kg. teacher on duty. More panic ensued when the driver of DEF said she wasn't on there. Meanwhile, the mother of the child is on the phone with one secretary. The other secretary is on the phone with transportation. The principal is on the walkie talkie with the vice principal and I'm thinking all kinds of things that might have happened to this poor little girl who so desperately wanted to go home. Thankfully she was on DEF and that driver brought her back to school where her sister and grandfather were waiting. She had a smile hiding behind her tear stained face and a hug for anyone willing to receive one.

All in all, it was a good day. Sorry for such a long entry. I wanted to share my day with my mom and dad and my family here but in the interest of saving my voice, I thought I'd better write it all down. Pray for my voice to make it through the week. "Phoebe" told me at the end of the school day, "Mrs. Woodworm," (her way of pronouncing my name - we are working on that one!) "It sounds like your voice is going away." Yes it certainly was almost gone by 2 PM.