Corbin's Kindergarten news

I got a letter in the mail today from Corbin's school. Most of it is just basic informative stuff, which I'll get more into in a minute. But I got the "Results" from his screening back. And I'm a bit upset.

While he passed the Cognitive/Readiness portion of the screening, as well as the motor skills screening, he failed the Speech and Language Screening. Here's the lowdown:

Speech and Language Screening:

• Receptive (Understanding) language: Failed  Articulation: Failed
• Expressive (Using) language:              ↓            Other: ____________
• Further Testing Recommended: Yes

I understand that he didn't "get" a couple of the questions. I wish they would have gone into greater detail about what it is that they want him to know. He's smart, I just don't know what they want me to teach him. In fact, the one thing that was a problem, if you remember, was that he didn't understand the difference between "same" and "different", and all it took was me explaining it to him, and he got it in like, a couple of minutes. And now, he does know. I just wish they would have said, "He needs to understand XYZ before we retest him".

I have been teaching both of the kids at home, but this makes me feel like I've failed them both. I feel like such a jerk about the whole thing. Tim is mad at me for feeling like that, but I can't help it. Corbin is such a smart kid, and I just haven't been teaching him the right stuff. This is apparently basic kindergartner stuff that he should know, and I haven't worked on it enough with him. I guess I'm just hoping that he'll be okay when they retest him. I suppose in the worst case scenario, he doesn't pass the test, but they wouldn't say he can't come to kindergarten. They'll just tell him when he's in Kindergarten and then he'll have learned it. :n/ I still feel like a huge jerk, though.

Blahhhhhhhhhhh anyway, I'm not crying about this right now. That's definitely not happening right now.

The rest of the paperwork seems to indicate that Corbin's teacher will be Cheri Greco. I can't remember who she is out of all of the teachers. But it looks like he'll be in room 104.

There's an open house coming up on September 7 (the day before school starts) from 1:30-2:30 so that the kids "can find their room, meet their teacher and bring in their supplies".

The kids will all get bus tags on their first day of school that they need to wear for 2 weeks, presumably to help them get onto the proper bus when they leave the school. I guess that alleviates some of the stress for me, of worrying about him not taking the right bus home. I took the wrong bus home on the day that my mom had her tubes tied. I was supposed to ride to my Aunt's house, and I got the bus numbers confused, and ended up riding around town with a bus driver until my Aunt called the school to find out where I was. It was pretty scary.

There's a note about labeling everything that he brings to school with him, and there's a list, just in case you don't know what "label everything" means LOL: "lunch box, backpack, toys, money, coats, paint shirt, mittens, snow pants, boots, etc." I laughed at the labeling money thing, but I get what they mean. Put it in an envelope or baggie with your kid's name on it. It just seems funny to think about writing your child's name on dollar bills.

The supplies that were required for me to buy for the entire class, not exclusively for my child were:

• CRAYOLA broad tip markers (a box of at least 8)
• 4 glue sticks (not glue pens)
• Box of CRAYOLA crayons (any size)
• Box of tissues
• Box of press and seal bags (either gallon, quart or sandwich size)
• 4 pocket folders

It irritates me that they got brand specific with CRAYOLA. I mean, for crayons I get it, because you can get some really inferior crayons that don't color for crap, but markers? Really?

And then, what I had to buy for Corbin specifically (and label his name on it):

• A pocket folder, paper or vinyl with two BOTTOM pockets (not side), to be used for his work papers, parent-teacher notes, and money envelopes
• A Tote Bag/Backpack, big enough to hold his folder, art projects, etc., and to be carried daily
• Extra Lare short-sleeved paint shirt: for art (button front adult shirt which can be worn backwrds, with the sleeves trimmed and his name printed so that it will be shown on his chest when he's wearing it.
• SNEAKERS, which are needed EVERY DAY. If they don't have PE class, they do gross motor activities in the classroom or on the playground, and sandals, dress shoes, crocs, and platform sneakers are UNSAFE FOR THESE ACTIVITIES. (just in case you wondered)
• Jacket. (I realize that there are parents that are this stupid. But DUH.

And, because I know that my mom will be curious about this, they also included *lunch prices.

• Main Menu Lunch-------------------------------$1.60
• Lunch milk or snack milk------------------------$.45
• Juice---------------------------------------------$.55
• Ice Cream---------------------------------------$.70
• Cookies-----------------------------------------$.75
• Chips--------------------------------------------$.70
• Salad Lunch-------------------------------------$1.65 (yup, more expensive than main lunch.)
• Roll Sandwich Lunch----------------------------$1.65 (turkey, tuna, ham, PB&J)
• Adult Lunch-------------------------------------$1.75
• Breakfast----------------------------------------$.90

*Please note that these prices are from last year and are subject to change.

So that's pretty much everything. I guess we're "strongly encouraged" to come to the open house to bring all of the supplies with us that evening, rather than having our kids bring it all with them on the first day of school. And of course I'll take him to open house, I just think it sucks for the working parents who have to either choose to take time off to go or can't go.

Oh I almost forgot to mention that I went to Kmart and put all of the required stuff (other than the art shirt) on layaway, as well as school clothes. The total came to like $166, so I had to pay $16 down. BUT that's for both of the kids. I don't have a list from Brooke's school yet, but at least I know that I'm done for clothes for both kids and supplies for Corbin. :n)

Corbin got a holographic star wars backpack that you can see at that link (TARA ;n) ) and Brooke got a Kai Lan backpack that you can also see.

I got a bunch of cute shirts for the kids. I had a lot of trouble finding long sleeves for Corbin. I think I'm going to find him some long sleeved tee shirts just to wear under the shirts I got him. I found a bunch of cute clothes for Brooke, though, and I got 3 pairs of jeans for Corbin for $10 each, so that was cool.

Okay, done for real now. ;n)