Parenting: School Misinformation

So, my oldest boy (now six) has started Kindergarten. Actually, I’m amazed at how many people have said “I wish my parents had kept me back a year.” He is attending class at Harvest Valley Elementary, which actually seems a good-sized school in the Romoland School District. (Frankly, I’m amazed there are enough kids in the area to support one school, let alone the four in the district.)

Getting him registered for Kindergarten was more tricky than I’d expected; in retrospect it makes perfect sense, but at no time does the district or school reach out to you first. They are totally ignorant of the existence of your child prior to initial school registration… so much for “Big Brother is Watching” or having your kid “forced” to go to school, I guess.

I was dismayed though, with the little information I had once the registration process was complete. I had located the school website on my own, which is where I found the registration paperwork in the first place. At no other time have I heard the school website mentioned. After getting the registration paperwork filed, I was given two single sheet letters, one telling me about the (apparently new) Principal, and the other indicating that school started the following Tuesday, and that Kindergarten orientation was Wednesday night.

Okay, orientation, that sounds good… except that orientation did not include any information on which teacher my child would have, the room he would be in, any of the specifics I had expected. I was informed of the detailed list of critical information my child would have to demonstrate competency over by the end of the year, including a 41 word vocabulary list and lengthy lists of vaguely worded objectives. As much as I appreciate details on what will be expected academically, this part of the process felt unsatisfactory to me.

Well, on Friday a postcard arrived, indicating who my boys teacher and room would be, and reminding that class started on Tuesday at 8. That was, predictably, an emotional morning; first kid off to school for the first time. At that time, there was no chance to see much of anything in the school or classroom, and no time to speak with the instructor. It was much too hectic an environment for thinking, let alone talking. Apparently it was also too hectic an environment to mention when class let out, as that was not mentioned, nor was it listed in the packet of papers from the school. One message to the school office resulted in two calls back, one saying that class ended at 10:30, the other at noon. (Turns out the latter was correct.)

That morning I was given a large packet of paperwork, with many fields to sign and date. I did not expect that, as a parent of a Kindergarten child, I would have to indicate the terms under which a 3rd through 5th grader might be expelled for sexual harassment. (Take a moment, and think about that last clause. Yeah.) The next day saw an even thicker packet of information, finally giving details like a map of the school and calendar. (Finally I had written confirmation that the day runs from 8 to 12.) I was surprised to note that virtually every Wednesday was a minimum day, at Harvest Valley. That doesn’t matter for the Kindergarten classes, but will sure matter for next year.

So, perusing the web site I saw that Back to School Night will be on a Thursday at 5:30. Okay, so I’ll have to arrange to get off work early, no problem… until dropping off the boy this morning I saw the sign outside the school office saying that Back to School Night starts at 5 PM.

I really don’t know which is worse: The school giving no information, or the school giving conflicting information. I also have to wonder if Palomar College (where I work in Academic Technology) gives their incoming students a similarly troubling first experience. I hope not, but I expect so.