Free range kinder kids

The day didn't start all that well... I found out via a game of chinese whispers that one of the new mums isn't sure she made the right choice of school for her child. The head of junior school tells me this following – it's not a reflection on you... I understand that intellectually, but it's quite hard not to feel it. It just needs time, but it's hard when she won't let go. It makes it harder for her daughter to adjust too. In the end, it's the parents choice and they have the right to doubts.

The Bob the Builder CD has some really dodgy songs on it, even the owner of the CD, Ms 6, says “This is the silly song.”

I love it when kids look at you as if you are completely out of your mind. One of mine asked at lunch who the person sitting on the mat with the toys outside the other classroom was. I said it looked like someone's Dad, but maybe it was a really big new prep from P2. The look on her face with the reply “I don't think so” was priceless!

The literacy program is coming together, but keeping the attention of one of the newies is very hard. We haven't quite worked out how to get through to her and she needs a lot of work with not pulling off people's glasses and not throwing stuff away if she doesn't want it. And her mum wants her to try proper underpants tomorrow not 'pull ups'... she'll send a couple of changes of clothes, but I'm more worried about how accidents will disrupt the class (and make a mess...). I never expected to know this much about my students – no matter what their age!

We tried out the physical program we planned yesterday, it needs some tweaking but it was good to have the right people in the right places and the kids having virtually one on one attention. Had some problems with my Sleeping Beauty needing a nap part way through but we have decided to let her nap, but only for a short period each time so she doesn't miss out on too much.

The afternoon session my two remaining kids got an extra swim and I got extra APT. I got some stuff done, but there is so much to get going at the start of term and all sorts of crap in my classroom from the previous teacher that I don't know whether it is important or not...

An interesting comment from the other prep teachers was made about the difference between kinder and school. It is very structured at school and the kids have to sit and focus for periods of time. At kinder they mostly just roam around and do what want when they want. It is a big change. I should try to to expect too much too soon and keep in mind that my formerly free range kinder kids may be finding the change not to their liking.

Two of the prep parents say that their kids are loving coming to school. One screams when the bus arrives and was disappointed last Saturday that she wasn't going on the bus to school! The other, despite being very tired and apparently not interested, is happy to come to school and babbles excitedly when she gets home. 4/5 ain't bad and in time we'll get no. 5 settled in.

APT: Approved Planning Time (YAY!)