Back to School 2013

The first three weeks of school are nearly in the books. As usual, once the routine settles the weeks start going pretty fast. This year was a year of change for both kids, similar to two years ago when they were just beginning life at a new school in a new location. This is a similar change, but much less dramatic. This year marked the beginning of a new era for Quinn…middle school, where so many of your memories really begin. Keely started a new school as well, where she will attend 4^th and 5^th grades. This school is in our neighborhood, only having opened a year ago – or I should say re-opened after a long 30 years of not having a school in the neighborhood. For that whole time, the kids were traveling to a school in an adjacent neighborhood – not too far away though – where the kids attended for their first two years in Virginia, Beech Tree.

Keely was so excited to go to the Open House for her school in late August, so that she could find out her new teacher. I still laugh when I remember the moment we realized it was a male teacher…again! The girl who so very desperately wants a Ms. Something keeps getting the only male teacher in her grade. Mr. B is very nice though, and things have been going very well. Also, the 3 classes are very much a large group and in reality, Keely has 3 teachers. She already switches to another class for math, and they move around for reading and language arts as well. They are constantly re-assessing at the beginning of each new skill set, and grouping kids according to their pre-assessments so that everyone is getting the best learning environment. It’s a bit of a unique concept, but they feel it works well and so far I agree. Keely knew a few girls in her class from the outset, but of course she has made a bunch of new friends – and she’s come to the realization that she can still maintain her old friendships, while incorporating new friends into her life.

Quinn made the adjustment to the logistics of middle school pretty easily. He had his schedule memorized after the first day. He has a locker but never visits it because there isn’t enough time between classes. He went into middle school with his two best friends, and he seems to be meeting and making other friends in his classes. I really like what they did for the first 2 weeks with lunch – probably the only setting where a child can really feel left out – they had the 6^th graders sit with their next period class to avoid anyone feeling left out. After about 2 weeks – presumably when kids had time to make friends and figure out who they wanted to sit with – they let them start to choose their own seats. It’s one of the benefits of the hypersensitivity of bullying – and this one I think I like. What’s hard to adjust to is the homework and time management. No surprise there, but it’s going to take a little while to get settled. He is used to begin given an assignment one day that is due the next – and not used to having multiple teachers giving him assignments that are due the next day or maybe several days later. It’s something we all have to learn, and for some it takes longer than others. I think we can all remember a time when we forgot to do an assignment and arrived at school with the sinking realization that we were unprepared. For me, it was freshman year in high school and a biology lab that I completely spaced – so I worked on it in each class and at lunch because thankfully I had biology last period. I was happy to receive a C on it, considering the effort I put in. But I digress – this is about Quinn, not me! – honestly, though, having Quinn enter middle school has James and I reminiscing a lot about middle school (since we went to the same one, we can pull out the same yearbook and remember what teachers we had). I feel like so much of what you end up being starts taking shape in middle school, and I can’t believe my baby is already to that point in his life. Not to mention that he’s about to turn 12! I think overall, he is making a good adjustment but like all new things, there is learning and growing that needs to happen. It will happen in time, but we need to be patient and watch it grow. I tend to want to micro-manage (i.e. nag) while James is more hands off – so thank goodness he is managing the day-to-day homework and lets Quinn manage himself. It’s better that he not be babied and learn sooner than later that he needs to manage his time appropriately, and make the choice to (a) start on his homework right away than (b) wait until the last minute to start and then realize he doesn’t have the paper with the details of the assignment (true story, happened this week).

While I’m writing, I better include an update on sports. Keely is playing soccer again, and she continues to enjoy it and improve. It helps that she’s on a team with all of her friends – and a lot of girls she now doesn’t see every day at school. They started their season with a win on Saturday, and let’s hope it continues! Even so, the coaches are so encouraging and the girls have fun even if they don’t win. I just love the values that they are teaching them – that winning is not the most important thing, it’s more important to have fun and work as a team and they really celebrate the little milestones that they see from game to game, and season to season. Keely says she wants to try out for travel soccer, but we will see. I’m not sure if we (meaning I) am ready for the time commitment associated with that decision.

Quinn doesn’t have a fall sport because they didn’t have enough boys to start the flag football league. I feel that it will be okay though because PE is an everyday thing, and they do much more strenuous things in the class (I couldn’t believe the weight room they have in middle school, not to mention the cardio machines – it looks like a real gym!). He has also taken an interest in basketball, and says he wants to sign up this winter. He has the opportunity to stay after school 3 days a week (actually, 5 but for 3 days there is a late bus he can ride home) – they do homework first, and then play games the rest of the time…things like basketball, flag football, capture the flag, etc. It’s a good outlet for him, and it’s all free!

Both kids are continuing with scouting. Quinn is staying active in the Boy Scout Troop which meets Mondays and goes camping monthly. He’s already been on a September camp out – a one night trip to a ropes course. He had a great time, and also got to fish which he loves. Keely is in Junior Girl Scouts and this year, I am co-leading her troop with another mom. I’m not sure how or why I get myself into these things (hint: I can’t say no!) but hopefully it will turn out okay. I’m excited – we have a small troop (4 girls at this point) so we can make it fun and individualized for the girls. We already have a campout planned for late October, and I think we will have a fun year. 

So that's life at our house these days. Busy and interesting - but that's how we like it. Summer was great, but it's nice to be back in a routine even if that means more to schedule and manage!