Wow! Elementary school teacher here and parent....eating out of the lunchbox before school starts is a fantastic idea! The cafeteria is hectic. We have lots of volunteers in our school who help...especially that first month or so as kids get settled, but children certainly have to be willing to ask for help if they need it. If nothing else, their peers will usually be willing to help....although that often ends with grapes, yogurt, etc...all over the floor when they really tug at those tricky containers.

I admit that I never paid much attention to the cost of before/aftercare while my daughter was in preschool and just assumed it wasn't much. Ultimately, I was shocked at the cost when you look at the hours and the staff to student ratio compared to preschool. We tried to avoid it to save $$, but the stress of rushing for drop-off and pick-up wasn't worth it so we are going to do aftercare two days a week this upcoming year just so we aren't rushing out every day....plus the kids seem to love it!

Anonymous wrote:My kid will start kindergarten soon. I am nervous. Not for my child but for ME! I feel so clueless on school issues when I'm speaking to other parents. I don't even know the grading systems or what in the world is STEM. Where do I start? I read so many posts and it's just confusing me more. Not only that, how do people work full time and pick their kids up when school let out. I may be late to work everyday. What do I do in the summer? After school programs sounds like the same cost as day care. Is there a way to attend PTA meetings before your child is in school?
Is my child ready? Can he stand up to the kids that aren't nice? How do I begin to prepare him?

You can start by eliminating some of your concerns by planning now. You can get before and aftercare to cover the times when you cannot due to your work schedule. Your school should be able to provide you with a list of providers that drop off and pick up at your school. Yes, they are pricey, but not quite as high as daycare. I think I dropped $100 per week per kid when they started school. Don't forget to look at the school calendar for coverage for school days off as well. There are three set for September in MCPS and two more in October. In the summer, you send your child to camp that has a before and aftercare component or you get a babysitter. If you are planning on camp, the best discounts are available when you register and pay in the winter. I often book mine by November for the following summer. Even still, it is usually more expensive than daycare was. As far as PTA, your school website might have some information about the meetings. Usually we do a meet and greet during the second week of school in the evenings. Plan to go to back to schoon night, which is where you will learn about the curriculum and some of the expectations, such as homework.

Anonymous wrote:Another anxious parent of a kid heading to kindergarten. Did your child go to preschool or daycare, OP? That should go a long way towards readiness/standing up to other kids.

Your school should have an open house right before school starts and that should be a good place to get answers to some of your questions. Look up your school online - ours has a link to the before/after care program.

As for preparation, it might sound silly but I have my daughter eating out of her lunchbox at home - I learned the hard way in preschool that she won't ask for help if she can't open something and want to be sure she can open everything for kindergarten.

Brilliant, PP.

Anonymous wrote:Did I post this????
Really anxious about the same things... Trying not to overthink things and take one day at a time. Does your school have a back to school night before the school starts? I am hoping to get some info there.
We are lucky enough to have my grandmother (she lives with us) to help in the mornings and afternoons, otherwise it would have been 10 hour day with before and aftercare for DS. The befor/aftercare is in the school itself though and relatively cheap (like $500/month for a 10 hour day).
All the info about P's , etc. is really annoying. Whats wrong with A/B/C system or 5/4/3 grades I got? I do know what STEM is though (science, technology, engineering, math focus)

This is really, really, really not something you need to worry about in kindergarten. Really. I promise.

Another anxious parent of a kid heading to kindergarten. Did your child go to preschool or daycare, OP? That should go a long way towards readiness/standing up to other kids.

Your school should have an open house right before school starts and that should be a good place to get answers to some of your questions. Look up your school online - ours has a link to the before/after care program.

As for preparation, it might sound silly but I have my daughter eating out of her lunchbox at home - I learned the hard way in preschool that she won't ask for help if she can't open something and want to be sure she can open everything for kindergarten.

Did I post this????
Really anxious about the same things... Trying not to overthink things and take one day at a time. Does your school have a back to school night before the school starts? I am hoping to get some info there.
We are lucky enough to have my grandmother (she lives with us) to help in the mornings and afternoons, otherwise it would have been 10 hour day with before and aftercare for DS. The befor/aftercare is in the school itself though and relatively cheap (like $500/month for a 10 hour day).
All the info about P's , etc. is really annoying. Whats wrong with A/B/C system or 5/4/3 grades I got? I do know what STEM is though (science, technology, engineering, math focus)

You'll be fine. Don't worry about most of what you read hear and focus on your own observations. Does you school have a list serve (check the website)? I think you would be welcome at PTA meetings but I am not sure there are any over the summer. Unless you (and DH) are pretty felxible on work hours, you probably need some kind of care. It also covers many days school is closed and most snow days which is really useful.

My kid will start kindergarten soon. I am nervous. Not for my child but for ME! I feel so clueless on school issues when I'm speaking to other parents. I don't even know the grading systems or what in the world is STEM. Where do I start? I read so many posts and it's just confusing me more. Not only that, how do people work full time and pick their kids up when school let out. I may be late to work everyday. What do I do in the summer? After school programs sounds like the same cost as day care. Is there a way to attend PTA meetings before your child is in school?
Is my child ready? Can he stand up to the kids that aren't nice? How do I begin to prepare him?