Sandra J Gallardo is an excellent school when it comes to following rules. Yet its emotional quotient bank balance is sure running in deficit. This became even more evident after the recent encounter with my daughter's class teacher and the Principal!
Ever since the days when Atharv was in pre-kindergarden, whether a student of the school or not; Avika has followed me to every single volunteering activity I undertook. Whether it was labeling the library's books at Lowell Elementary, sharpening pencils or helping students in adding single digit numbers at Martha Lake Elementary or sorting beads, bags and stuff for an afterschool maths activity at Natoma Station. Sidenote: Yes, so far Athav has broken all records in both my and Abhinav's families. This is his 5th year in public schools and he is at school #4 already. Surprising; unlike Avika's unwavering terrible-twos behavior at home for over 6 years; every time I volunteered at school, she would sit quietly sit beside me, watch me intently, and after a while sometimes even imitate me as a faithful helper!
When we changed apartments last November, we also decided to change schools mid-session! The front desk staff and both the teachers were deeply emotional at the news; as was I. Our move from Seattle had been a rushed and very bumpy one. Between mid-August and October, Natoma Station was already home, not just for the kids for their mom too! Pulling the kids out of school was a major heartbreak, but it felt like moving to Sandra was the correct thing to do in the kids best interest!
The first few interactions with the front desk made me feel I was some Khan being interrogated at the US airport for trying to smuggle an illegal nail cutter with a knife! However, with time I made it a point to remember Durga Ma's before entering the premises. Gradually over the year, the interactions become smoother!
Among other things, one of the weirdest things about Folsom Cordova Unified School District are the insanely varying routines for different elementary grades. For instance Kindergarteners attended school for 3ish hours at Natoma Station and closer to 4ish hours at Sandra. Then there are Grade 1st and 2st, who attend school for around 5.5 hours and then come the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders; who attend school for 6ish hours. The schools will start and end at 'easy-to-remember' times such as 8:22 and 2:37! Absolutely never at the 5's 10's! Then there are minimum days and then there are super minimum days and then there are different times when those three categories of grades will start and end school on those special minimum / super minimum days! In short, there is a good scope to consider applying for a Phd in school timings in our school district; especially if you have a kid in more than one of the above category! Well, there is a positive side of it too, unlike lazy folks like me; moms who live nearby get their daily dose of walking back and forth to the school if not more, at least 4 times a day, dropping or picking one of their kids the entire day!
So coming back to Sandra's emotion quotient. Avika would get out of school at noon. all of the fun activities and most of the volunteering needs in Atharv's classes would be in the afternoon. Sandra has been the first and the only school; which would NOT ALLOW a sibling studying in the same school to accompany the parent, while the parent is volunteering. For this reason, despite Atharv having an excellent teacher last year, I barely felt being a part of Sandra! Among other things, such as celebrating American festivals; I was also forced to miss his birthday celebrations, Mothers Day and Graduation celebration! It was very hard! More so, since I was out of work the whole of last academic year and had no valid reason to not be a part of my child's happiest moments!
It was only when Avika started going for another 2 hours this year; that I could accompany Atharv to his field trip this last Wednesday; to be back before Avika was out school. His class had a trip to Maidu Museum; where we learned a ton about native Americans! Hats off to the Native Americans for fighting for their rights and including mandatory information sessions on their culture and heritage into the California Text Books! Their efforts deserve a separate and dedicated post!
For today's field trip, I was the chaperone for 5 kids, incidentally all boys that day. I grouped them into pairs and had one of them be my buddy. Then I held my buddy's hand as we walked from the class to the bus. After a few seconds, it felt strange and I let go of my buddy's hand! I realized these boys had suddenly grown up! And so must have Atharv too! I see him every day and never noticed him growing up! As we waited for the buses to line up, I noticed these boys were way more confident than before. They were also more content among themselves. I realized that today no one would be requesting Mrs. Deepti to tie their shoelaces or open their water bottles. No one would be struggling to put away their lunch boxes in their bags. Until a year or two ago, when I was with similar aged kids, their whole faces would lit up like light bulbs in response to my smile. But these 3rd graders had suddenly grown up, and were little teenagers already! They couldn't care less in response to my smile. It felt like a boulder suddenly hitting me in my face! There was a realization that I had missed an entire year of their lives!
Last week, after a friend returned home, after dropping her daughter to college, I enquired if her daughter was now settled. She texted me back saying - "We are all learning to get settled!"
In a few months from now, Atharv will be celebrating his last single digit birthday! When did that happen? Until yesterday, wasn't I constantly on my edge, being watchful of him and his little sister getting into mischiefs; afraid that someday they may pull a chair in the balcony on the 8th floor and jump off just for the fun of it!
That same largest single digit number and he will fly out of his nest for good, soaring the skies on his own! That thought literally pricked my heart, leaving me sleepless at 2 am; despite celebrating Durga Naumi in the morning, followed by a long day at the Instructional Quality Commission in Sacramento! And sadly, I have not felt my heart pricked for the first time! Kids literally do grow up faster than you can blink your eyes! As challenging as parenting can be; I am teaching myself to learn to enjoy while they are still with me!
Ever since the days when Atharv was in pre-kindergarden, whether a student of the school or not; Avika has followed me to every single volunteering activity I undertook. Whether it was labeling the library's books at Lowell Elementary, sharpening pencils or helping students in adding single digit numbers at Martha Lake Elementary or sorting beads, bags and stuff for an afterschool maths activity at Natoma Station. Sidenote: Yes, so far Athav has broken all records in both my and Abhinav's families. This is his 5th year in public schools and he is at school #4 already. Surprising; unlike Avika's unwavering terrible-twos behavior at home for over 6 years; every time I volunteered at school, she would sit quietly sit beside me, watch me intently, and after a while sometimes even imitate me as a faithful helper!
When we changed apartments last November, we also decided to change schools mid-session! The front desk staff and both the teachers were deeply emotional at the news; as was I. Our move from Seattle had been a rushed and very bumpy one. Between mid-August and October, Natoma Station was already home, not just for the kids for their mom too! Pulling the kids out of school was a major heartbreak, but it felt like moving to Sandra was the correct thing to do in the kids best interest!
The first few interactions with the front desk made me feel I was some Khan being interrogated at the US airport for trying to smuggle an illegal nail cutter with a knife! However, with time I made it a point to remember Durga Ma's before entering the premises. Gradually over the year, the interactions become smoother!
Among other things, one of the weirdest things about Folsom Cordova Unified School District are the insanely varying routines for different elementary grades. For instance Kindergarteners attended school for 3ish hours at Natoma Station and closer to 4ish hours at Sandra. Then there are Grade 1st and 2st, who attend school for around 5.5 hours and then come the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders; who attend school for 6ish hours. The schools will start and end at 'easy-to-remember' times such as 8:22 and 2:37! Absolutely never at the 5's 10's! Then there are minimum days and then there are super minimum days and then there are different times when those three categories of grades will start and end school on those special minimum / super minimum days! In short, there is a good scope to consider applying for a Phd in school timings in our school district; especially if you have a kid in more than one of the above category! Well, there is a positive side of it too, unlike lazy folks like me; moms who live nearby get their daily dose of walking back and forth to the school if not more, at least 4 times a day, dropping or picking one of their kids the entire day!
So coming back to Sandra's emotion quotient. Avika would get out of school at noon. all of the fun activities and most of the volunteering needs in Atharv's classes would be in the afternoon. Sandra has been the first and the only school; which would NOT ALLOW a sibling studying in the same school to accompany the parent, while the parent is volunteering. For this reason, despite Atharv having an excellent teacher last year, I barely felt being a part of Sandra! Among other things, such as celebrating American festivals; I was also forced to miss his birthday celebrations, Mothers Day and Graduation celebration! It was very hard! More so, since I was out of work the whole of last academic year and had no valid reason to not be a part of my child's happiest moments!
It was only when Avika started going for another 2 hours this year; that I could accompany Atharv to his field trip this last Wednesday; to be back before Avika was out school. His class had a trip to Maidu Museum; where we learned a ton about native Americans! Hats off to the Native Americans for fighting for their rights and including mandatory information sessions on their culture and heritage into the California Text Books! Their efforts deserve a separate and dedicated post!
For today's field trip, I was the chaperone for 5 kids, incidentally all boys that day. I grouped them into pairs and had one of them be my buddy. Then I held my buddy's hand as we walked from the class to the bus. After a few seconds, it felt strange and I let go of my buddy's hand! I realized these boys had suddenly grown up! And so must have Atharv too! I see him every day and never noticed him growing up! As we waited for the buses to line up, I noticed these boys were way more confident than before. They were also more content among themselves. I realized that today no one would be requesting Mrs. Deepti to tie their shoelaces or open their water bottles. No one would be struggling to put away their lunch boxes in their bags. Until a year or two ago, when I was with similar aged kids, their whole faces would lit up like light bulbs in response to my smile. But these 3rd graders had suddenly grown up, and were little teenagers already! They couldn't care less in response to my smile. It felt like a boulder suddenly hitting me in my face! There was a realization that I had missed an entire year of their lives!
Last week, after a friend returned home, after dropping her daughter to college, I enquired if her daughter was now settled. She texted me back saying - "We are all learning to get settled!"
In a few months from now, Atharv will be celebrating his last single digit birthday! When did that happen? Until yesterday, wasn't I constantly on my edge, being watchful of him and his little sister getting into mischiefs; afraid that someday they may pull a chair in the balcony on the 8th floor and jump off just for the fun of it!
That same largest single digit number and he will fly out of his nest for good, soaring the skies on his own! That thought literally pricked my heart, leaving me sleepless at 2 am; despite celebrating Durga Naumi in the morning, followed by a long day at the Instructional Quality Commission in Sacramento! And sadly, I have not felt my heart pricked for the first time! Kids literally do grow up faster than you can blink your eyes! As challenging as parenting can be; I am teaching myself to learn to enjoy while they are still with me!
