Monday, September 22, 2008

School Daze







1 September 2008.

School registration works a bit differently here in the UK. Generally, you submit your child's information about a year before school starts. Since we didn't have a confirmed address until August 7th, that wasn't a deadline we managed to meet.

Jason took Cami to Leeds Education on August 9th to submit her application. And then we waited for "The Letter" (just as if we were hoping she'd been accepted to Hogwarts.) But it didn't come. And didn't come. And didn't come.

So, on 1 September, the official start date for schools throughout the UK, we walked by the school around 9:30. It looked completely closed. No sign of life. Jason phoned Leeds Education and asked if there had been a hangup. The administrator reported that Cami's file had been sent to her school & that our letter should have arrived. Then she gave Jason a phone number for the school & told him to call.

We learned a couple things from the second call. #1. School had begun at 9 a.m. #2. They had Cami's file & just hadn't bothered to confirm that she was enrolled. #3. We should bring her in at 11 a.m. to meet the headteacher (the PC version of Dumbledore).

We arrived on time for her appointment. Mrs. Rhodes, the headteacher, interviewed her & took us on a mini-tour of the school. We spent about twenty minutes learning about the school dinner (aka lunch) program which Cami decided she wanted to buy into (simplifying my life) and purchasing her official school polo shirts & a jumper (aka sweatshirt).

Home for lunch, a quick change into her uniform (I LOVE uniforms -- she doesn't come home every day lusting after another child's clothes), & then my girl started school at 1 p.m.

So, when Cami grows up & has to provide some random tidbit of personal trivia she has an easy one: I skipped kindergarten & missed the first four hours of Year 1.

7 comments:

Tricia said...

She looks so happy she might burst. Hope the year is a great one Cami!

Anonymous said...

Cami looks fabulous!
And she and I will have that first day of kindergarten experience in common. I also missed my first day of school- we moved to N. cal just before the year began and they started earlier than S. Cal. It somehow made my entry into the class more dramatic and created a sharper (good) memory.

emily said...

Cami in school!?! Wow, she is all grown up!! I agree that she looks about ready to burst!

Chrislynn said...

I love Cami in that uniform! She seems so well suited to be a little English school girl.

Amy Donner said...

What a great set of pics! Kathryn will be thrilled to see them in the morning! Love the uniform:)

The Windy City Duo said...

Cami is adorable. I can't believe that she is in school already! Wow!

Marie Rayner said...

Oh she looks so happy Starr!! I love uniforms too. I think they're great. I'm so glad it all got sorted with only a small hiccup. Something to remember! Don't you just love the whole way they do school over here? The mom's all lining up to pick up their kiddies at the end of the day. A great way to make some new friends!