Monday, August 28, 2006

SCHOOL...FINALLY!

Tomorrow marks the start of another school year. THANK GOD!...

Don't get me wrong, I was never a parent who couldn't wait till my kid started school. I actually enjoyed her constant presence during the summers and dreaded the end knowing she wouldn't be around as much. Ok, so I was using the excuse of her being home to make mud pies and finger paint...so sue me.
I am the first to empathize with moms who have more children who look forward to some well deserved quiet time lol.

This year is different. School could not begin fast enough as far as I was concerned. This past summer has been very difficult. As I have previously written about. Her new group of friends and this need to experiment with ilegal substances has been very hard to manage to say the least. The brilliant parent I previously thought I was is barely keeping afloat above the level of overwhelming emotions washing over me on any given day.

School will certainly not solve all the problems we are dealing with but it will hopefully help somewhat in keeping her busy. And my mental health somewhat intact....(no comments from the peanut gallery)

School equals routine, schedules, obligations and so on. We have also signed her up for more dance classes. Her choice being Street Jazz this year.(I think STREET whatever, would have been atractive to her lol) She's also renewing her piano lessons and plans to keep her weekend job at the chinese resturant doing dishes . All these things along with school can hopefully help us reclaim a semblance of control. Keep her BUSY BUSY BUSY I say. While she is doing all that, I know where she is and who she's with.

This is also the year she will graduate. Where has the time gone! My little girl will be graduating from highschool! WOW!

She will be sweet 16 next month. Sweet is not quite what I would apply to describe her right about now (pulling hair out) none the less she is my beautiful daughter inside and out when she is HERSELF.
Yes, she is young to graduate. Her bday fell just before the date limit so she has always been among the youngest in her class.
Also, the system is different here in Quebec Canada. They do not go from 1st grade to 12th grade. Here it goes....1st to 6th elementary. Then they start the numbers over and again and go from Secondary 1st to 5th. So she is going into Secondary 5 this year and they graduate. College comes after that.
Don't ask why, it just is lol.

I know some places in the states started school weeks ago already. Here in Canada they all start around now give or take a few days.
When do your children start school?
How does it make u feel? Happy, sad or both lol?

16 comments:

kenju said...

My grandchildren started today, Moon, and I know their mother and father were extremely happy!

Re your comment: I would give my eye teeth to see Cirque anywhere! The problem is the $$ to get there.....LOL

I hope your daughter stays out of trouble now and in the future.

Bess said...

I start classes again a week from today (Tuesday), and so do my cousins L and M. But I'm in law school, while they're in first grade, elementary school! I can only imagine how strange it must be to have your child graduating, because it just blows me away that my little cousins are already in first grade. :) It's great that your daughter is keeping with her dance and music interests -- that's the kind of thing that will outlast the sketchy friends -- and staying busy is definitely a good way to keep out of trouble.

(Side note: I don't suppose Cleo is interested in writing or Stephen King books, is she? Because he wrote an excellent book on the craft of writing, but it's also a memoir of his life, and one of the things he talks about is how screwed up his life got while he was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and how by cleaning up, he really recovered a part of his creative mind that had gotten blanked out while he was using.)

Unknown said...

Your daughter is roughly the same age as my son, though is birthday is in feb. He's doing what we call year 11...in high school. makes him a senior.. oops... might just show how our schooling, here in QLD goes. the are starting prep year, next year, most will be 5, turning, 6 before 30 june, i think, then they have primary. years 1-7 *ages 6-12* roughly. Then they go into high school. Year 8 to 10.. then in the same school they have the seniors which is year 11 and 12. where most are 16-18 years old. After that we have Uni. and thats different again.. And only if you can afford it or want to go.
Across Australia, the school year starts the end of Jan, beginning of Feb, going through to middle Dec roughly. And we have 4 terms with holidays inbetween.. and 6 weeks hoilday at the end, for the summer...
*takes a breath*

Moon said...

Bess, Cleo LOVES horror movies, and Stephen King is right up her ally..its a great idea as books go, the thing is...I would have to find a translated edition...she only speals french!

Anna said...

Wow, that is early to graduate. Josh will be 16 in November and he missed the cut off date which here is Sept 1, so he was held back a year. He is only beginning sophomore year so he still has two years to go before graduating high school.

I'm glad you explained the system there cause I was definitely going to ask ;). What a big difference it makes, she'll be starting college at 16 (going on 17) but still that's amazing.

My kids start back to school on Sept. 5. They always go back the day after Labor Day here.

It's going to be different for them because their school moved into a new building this year so it's a whole new place for them, some teachers didn't go with and a lot of kids transferred out. I hope the transition goes well.

Routine is always good for kids and with a schedule like that she should be busy enough not to get into too much trouble. *Fingers crossed*

*hugs*

JustSue said...

This is the first year that I haven't had to endure "back to school" shopping. Believe me it's fantastic! The boy is still working full time on the help desk for our local ISP - and has plans somewhere down the road to go to college. We just don't know when yet. He was always the youngest in his class too due to his December birthday - so he's still young enough to make college decisions. His year off from education and in the workforce has certainly been a maturing year for him. I hardly recognise him from the hellion teen he was just a couple of years ago.

Fingers crossed all goes well for you (and Cleo) this year.

Carrie said...

Wow, that was insightful. I love to learn about the differences because we are so closed off here in America. I guess we seem to think we all do it the same. Good to know.

I think kids started last week here. They generally start the same time college starts.

rfun6 said...

Hey I got a 16 year old and a 20 year old...lmao ... dont want to pair her up do ya? lol .. .probably not...oh well :-P


he he he

Ramona said...

Sorry to hear that you're going through tough times with your daughter. Greg's little sister is the same age, and while she can be very sweet, she is doing some ummm...er...very adult things, that I think she is WAY to young to be doing! It's scary. Yet, I wonder if kids nowadays grow up faster than we did. They are in a hurry to claim their adult lives, and are much to immature to konw that they are potentially harming themselves.
At the very least, they are leving their innocence behind at a very young age.
It sounds like your girl will be kept quite busy this year. Is she planning to go to continuew with school after this year (CJEP? I think it is called?)

Ramona said...

LOVE, LOVE,LOVE your photo album! That is the most interesting, pretty wedding album I have ever seen. Never mind unique!
Could I ask, how did your sister do that? My photos are all in a shoebox!

Moon said...

So true Carrie...I loved the explanation that Kelly gave us about school in Australia....fascinating isnt it. North america has alot of similarities for sure..give or take date differences and such..and french canada here has a few differences for sure, but to learn of a whole other system across the world is so interesting. My hubby is from france...he says that the terms like kelley was explaining are like that in france aswell..with weeks holidays between each......I love learning about all this stuff lol.

kenju said...

Moon, thank you for the visits and the lovely comments. You are surely good for my ego!

carmilevy said...

I like the back-to-school time. It's a period of rebirth, growth, and opportunity. I know the kids hate it, but I love having the whole school year ahead of us. So much learning is about to happen.

Great question!

carmilevy said...

I like the back-to-school time. It's a period of rebirth, growth, and opportunity. I know the kids hate it, but I love having the whole school year ahead of us. So much learning is about to happen.

Great question!

Jennifer said...

hello, here from michele's today...
i have 3 boys ages 3, 5 and 6... the 6 yr old started 1st grade and the 5 yr old started kindergarten this year! woo hoo! i was actually glad to get them off to school this year... they were getting out of hand everyday... they were ready for that schedule and routine and something to keep them occupied and wear them out! they started on wednesday 8/28... one of the latest ones to start around here... it's weird, they go for 3 days and then have a 3 day weekend because of labor day holiday!
i never knew canada schools were structured like that... very interesting to know as i am so very close to being a teacher myself... but i want kindergarten through 3rd grade.. couldn't handle those older ones!
good luck with your daughter! and am i right in saying that she will be 16 next month and is graduating this year? yikes! i was 18 when i graduated from high school!

Moon said...

Killired...only Quebec schools are that way , the rest of canada's provinces, go to 12th grade, more similar to your structure. Quebec is unique in many ways lol, good and bad I will venture to say.