It seems like nice school. However, it's at capacity so she may get sent to another school and we may not know until September which school that is. Fortunately, they are all pretty good schools. Bronwyn was quite excited, especially when she saw the "big kids". We were there during recess, waiting in the office, and she overheard a teacher in the hallway telling some kids to go outside. She asked loudly, "Is that the boss of this place?". I think she'll be okay. It's hard to believe she will be starting "big" school. I'm a bit anxious about it. I suppose everyone is. After all she will be snapped up by the jaws of the educational establishment to be spat out again at 18. I should try to be more positive. I think she'll love Elementary school. What's not to like? Play, play, play, it's fun. And yet it ill prepares you for the horrors that await in Secondary School.
It's hard for me to be positive about High School (Comprehensive/Secondary). I hated every single minute of my time in Comprehensive. For me it was a 7 year prison sentence with the possibility of early parole after 5 years...which I took. The memories I have are of days spent in mind-numbing boredom listening to teachers who had long forgotten why they wanted to teach in the first place (some misguided sense of imparting knowledge and inspiring kid's...or perhaps it was the appeal of summers off). I remember before Chemistry class I would mark 40 ticks in my exercise book (40 minutes of class). As every minute passed, listening to "Fat Lenny" bantering on about periodic tables or something like that, I would sigh and scratch out a tick, vaguely hoping that we'd get to light the Bunsen burners at some point. The ridiculousness of P.E. gave me a life-long dislike of organized "team" sports. (And really, the painfully-self-conscious teenage years are not the best time for communal showers). I also remember my friend Mark and I sitting in "music" class, which was usually teacher-less. Poor Mr Watts was often away suffering from something (he was one of Secondary school's casualties, I sometimes noticed a brief but fading glimmer of a once-felt passion for teaching behind his tired, glassy eyes). We'd spend the time day-dreaming about the "outside" world and what we would do when we were finally released. And let's not forget the regular biology grope....the teacher who was always "accidentally" brushing against you and getting uncomfortably close when "explaining" something. I haven't even mentioned the other "inmates". My only hope was to get through a day without being noticed...by anyone. I could go on and on. But I won't. I'm starting to get flashbacks and my chest is tight....deep breaths....where the hell is my paper bag?
Okay - back to Bronwyn and kindergarten. Kindergarten is lovely. I loved teaching kindergarten. I think Bronwyn will have a great time. And talk the teacher's ears off. This is Bronwyn getting ready to go see the school...the bedraggled looking stuffy is Kitty.
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