Nearly a school kid

I took BallFiend to his new school today for the fifth and final orientation session. So far, he has been twice in August (a one-hour music session, and a one-hour library session), once in October (a one-hour 'hang-out in the classroom' session) and once in November (for another 'hang-out' session). Today was a slightly longer (90 minute) session for the kids met their home group teacher and the other kids in their home group*. BallFiend has been placed in a home group with several other boys from his creche, including one boy that he is particularly chummy with, MasterN and his teacher is Nerida.

Gran collected Thumper at 8.30 am (because after dropping BallFiend off at school, I was going to a 'planning day' at work). The orientation session started at 9.30 am, so it was almost like the real thing... I was taking BallFiend to school, then heading off to work.

We left home at about 9.10 am, caught a tram 5 stops down the road, then did the short walk to school (about 10 minutes). I took BallFiend into his classroom, settled him in, kissed him and said goodbye. Then I walked out of the school gate, back to the tram stop (only took about 5 minutes this time) and went to work.

I didn't really feel sad when I left BallFiend at school but it all felt very surreal... just leaving him there like that. The doors are open and the gates are unlocked. There was nothing to keep him in. Someone had warned me about that a while ago... at creche there's two doors to get past, both with pin-code locks. At school... nothing!


GrandPaul picked BallFiend up at 11.00 am and apparently BallFiend 'couldn't remember' anything about his time in the Prep room. I got the same story when I got back from work:
"BallFiend, how was your day at Prep? What did you do?"
"Oh, I can't remember." replied BallFiend.
A bit later he came up with a few sketchy details (after quite a bit of prompting on my part):

• "There were no balls."
• "I played blocks that had plastic inside and wood outside."
• "There were no toys because they forgot to put them out. But there will be toys next year."
• "We read a story."
• And most importantly: "I did farts with MasterN".

*The school doesn't have 'classes' or 'classrooms'. Instead a group of about 20 kids is a 'home group', and there are 2 - 3 Prep home groups in the learning community (the physical space, kind of like a classroom). The whole of Prep (there are 5 home groups in total) form the Prep learning community. It sounds very different, and it is. At the school information evening, the Principal used the RSA Changing Education Paradigms video clip to explain the school's philosophy and approach.
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