View Full Version : Snack from home or let him eat the snack at kindergarden? And other issues ...
N starts kindergarden next week and they are only half day sessions (a little under three hours). I'm a little confused because it starts at 11:15 (or could be 11:45 ... my mind is failing me right now, I have to look it up) and ends at 2:30, which would definitely be during his normal lunch time. They don't have lunch, but a snack. We can either send in a snack, or he could get a school snack for $0.60 a day. They *really* encouraged the school snack program (for whatever reason) and went on about how great it was for at least five minutes .... they apparently have a new way to pay with a credit card over the internet on your child's account. I don't know if the "excitement" was due to this new feature or what, but whatever. I'm just thinking, $0.60 worth of food ... what could they be giving him (we don't live in a low income area, so it's not that)? I said in another thread, but I'll mention it again ... we were really flustered at his orientation yesterday where this was being discussed. When we were given the opportunity to ask questions, his teacher wasn't there to ask because she's on vacation (and this is when they have orientation every year, so why take your vacation now??). We asked a few questions of the person that was provided in her place and she would have to leave and go ask someone else, so we never asked about the snack/what should be lunch. I'm just *really* not happy with a lot that happened yesterday (this school district is the same one that both my husband and I attended and graduated from), but I don't want to go there and cause a big stink with over a dozen questions and get labeled "that mother."
One of the main problems we have is that N is considered a walker. We are literally three houses away from him attending a different (better) school in the same district with busing. We are also less than one block away from him being considered not a walker. We *just* got his school info in the mail, and because he's in K, he will get bused ... ONE way. My DH did the run yesterday with the car mileage and it's 1.3 miles away from our house. My concern is that DH's truck is on the verge of being a POS and he travels an hour away for work. There have been times he's had to take my Odyssey to work because something was wrong with his truck. I know this is *our* problem, but I just keep thinking of that one day that I might be without a car ... and have to walk almost 3 miles with my son to/from school .... probably having to carry him part of the way because I just can't see him being able to walk that far at once. The idiot person that was there in place of his teacher said, well maybe you can carpool. Yeah, I'm going to trust some unknown person driving my kid around. I'm just getting myself all worked up, and now I feel *completely* not ready for kindergarden. I'm being positive for him, but inside I'm so aggravated.
hillview
08-25-2009, 06:41 PM
I'd pack a snack / lunch to start with. WRT the travel -- is there another mom you are friendly with who could help you out? Also -- a 3 mile walk in GOOD weather might be ok / fun but you'd have to leave early.
It does sound stressful -- HUGS on that front!
/hillary
brittone2
08-25-2009, 06:54 PM
I'd pack a snack and then revisit the issue if he starts asking to buy it or once you figure out what exactly the 60 cents worth of money buys him, kwim?
Since it doesn't sound like he cares at this point in time, I'd pack it for now., especially since my kids would be beasts if they didn't eat more than a snack from 11-2ish or whatever. That way you can make the snack have a little more protein/fat for satiety. (eta: vs. relying on what might be a sugar/carb laden "snack" of some type at school. If you are okay w/ what they provide for snack or he starts expressing a strong desire to buy it, you could rethink at a later time).
No, there really isn't someone else I can rely on to pick him up, especially not one with a car seat/booster at the ready. I'm not so sure I can even rely on *myself* physically to walk 3 miles to go get him. LOL I am not in the best of shape. And in the winter here, it's not unusual for it to go below 20 degrees.
DH is calling the district tomorrow to push the issue of the other school (the one we are three houses away from going to, and the one that will guarantee that he has a ride to and from school everyday). What realllllly makes me angry is that N's cousins who live literally less than half a block up the road (who go to the other better school) have the EXACT same bus stop that N will have during K, just a different bus and a different destination.
Brittone ... I missed your post before I replied.
I checked the school's website ... the $0.60 pays for your choice of milk or OJ and a pack of graham crackers. There is no way that that will subsist him for lunch. I really don't know what they're thinking. If what I wrote in the above post doesn't work, my plan is to pack him a regular lunch (at least for now, until he gets used to the earlier lunch time ... we were really taken aback because they didn't mail out any of this information in advance, we got his schedule and other info on Saturday). I'm just hoping they have a place to refrigerate it AND that they give him time to eat it (he's a slow eater, like most kids his age).
brittone2
08-25-2009, 07:14 PM
Do you know how long he gets to eat his snack?
Can you adjust his schedule so that he eats lunch before going to school?That's what the pm kindergarteners around here do. The snack for their class is about mid-way through the session (so around 1pm or so) and is not meant to take the place of lunch.
No advice on the travel/bussing issue, sorry.
brittone2
08-25-2009, 07:15 PM
Can you adjust his schedule so that he eats lunch before going to school?That's what the pm kindergarteners around here do. The snack for their class is about mid-way through the session (so around 1pm or so) and is not meant to take the place of lunch.
No advice on the travel/bussing issue, sorry.
Piggy backing on this, when does he need to leave to get there on time in the morning? Just wondering if school starts at 11:15 if he'll be okay eating something large at say 10:30 and then the smaller snack at 1ish or whatever...
egoldber
08-25-2009, 07:15 PM
:yeahthat: If it were me, I'd try to get him to eat "lunch" around 11.
kristenk
08-25-2009, 07:19 PM
I'd really try not to rely on the school being able to refrigerate a lunch. DD started K two days ago and her class is supposed to put their lunch boxes on a shelf right below their backpacks. There's no refrigeration. I think that Ellie's class has lunch and recess between 10:35 and 11:15. That's not a lot of time.
Can you play "school" with your son for a day or two this week? Pack a lunch for him and have him open it up by himself and eat it in the time that he'll have at school. That might help just a little.
I know that we're having to alter our normal eating schedule around here. DD's K is full-day, but she's definitely NOT used to eating lunch at 10:35.
Good luck with all of this. K seems to be such a big adjustment for parents and kids.
No, we had no one to ask how long they get to eat. That's why I don't understand why the teacher was allowed (or, honestly, responsibly WANTED) to go on vacation during orientation, which happens the same time EVERY year. Especially for K, where the it's the first school experience for the child, and usually for the parents too.
I will admit that we really haven't planned well at all for this adjustment. I have never been through this before and I guess never thought to ask anybody else around here any of this. Like I said, we didn't get any information about anything until Saturday. I could have been transitioning him all this time to an earlier lunch.
It seems like everybody else has supplies list (on here) for K too. We didn't get one, nor had no one to ask. All we were told about was a bookbag that went on his back, not a wheeled one.
Oh, and I didn't mention that when DH went to the school to register N for K, he witnessed a man standing on a chair in the cafeteria *screaming* at K through grade 5 kids to SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP. Literally those words, in the cafeteria, during recess. And he swears they weren't really being that loud, not for kids on a break ... just chatter from a lot of kids.
This was the man that we met first when we showed up for orientation. Guess who he is?
The principal.
brittone2
08-25-2009, 07:31 PM
Oh, and I didn't mention that when DH went to the school to register N for K, he witnessed a man standing on a chair in the cafeteria *screaming* at K through grade 5 kids to SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP. Literally those words, in the cafeteria, during recess. And he swears they weren't really being that loud, not for kids on a break ... just chatter from a lot of kids.
This was the man that we met first when we showed up for orientation. Guess who he is?
The principal.
:shake: Oh my.
egoldber
08-25-2009, 07:32 PM
OK before your last post I was going to say that this type of lack of info is pretty par for the course and one of the things I find VERY frustrating about schools.
But the principal standing on a chair screaming at kids to shut up? THAT is totally unacceptable!
AngelaS
08-25-2009, 07:33 PM
Oy. Sounds like a unique place. :P
I'd feed him a big snack/early lunch before school and send him with a snack. :)
I wouldn't fret the walk--my girls do a 2 mile walk every day, no problem. My littlest one was easily doing 1.5 miles at about age 3.5. :)
SnuggleBuggles
08-25-2009, 07:38 PM
You were just asking about picking up the family and moving to another state...that sounds like a good solution right about now!
The walk will be fine if you have to.
I'd also do a meal before school starts then just send in a snack.
Doubtful there is a fridge.
Ds didn't have a supply list for k. Just supposed to bring a lunch box and backpack. Don't worry about that.
On the terrible "shut up" thing- go as high up as you need to to express your concern and disapproval for this. School board meeting, perhaps.
Beth
LOL Beth, I swear ... yesterday I said about 50 times ... TEXAS HERE WE COME!!!
rosiegirl1
08-25-2009, 07:52 PM
No, we had no one to ask how long they get to eat. That's why I don't understand why the teacher was allowed (or, honestly, responsibly WANTED) to go on vacation during orientation, which happens the same time EVERY year.
It could be that the teacher had a wedding, funeral or other family event. Certainly orientation is important, and in my district, we had to get special approval to miss any of the teacher week before school started, but in the case of special events (weddings, etc), generally the principal/superintendent approved it. Teachers have families too.
Don't count on refrigeration for lunches. If I had to guess, snack time for a 1/2 day kinder class would probably be about 5-10 minutes, perhaps 15. For awhile classes at my school were having snack during recess (on the playground) but due to nut allergy issues, the playground was labeled a food-free zone.
No, we had no one to ask how long they get to eat. That's why I don't understand why the teacher was allowed (or, honestly, responsibly WANTED) to go on vacation during orientation, which happens the same time EVERY year. Especially for K, where the it's the first school experience for the child, and usually for the parents too.
There may be some good reason as to why the teacher took vacation at this time. Maybe it was the only time her spouse could get off. Maybe it was planned to coincide with a family event like a wedding. It's frustrating, but hopefully when the teacher returns you will be able to get all your question answered.
I don't know what to think about the principal, though. Maybe you can talk to some other parents and find out if this is usual behavior for him...or if he is on the verge of a nervous breakdown or something.
We were specifically told, by the principal, that she was on a cruise with her husband and kids in the Caribbean. Whether it was for a family event, I don't know ... but that's not the impression we (the collective we) were given. Granted, things happen, whatever. At least have somebody KNOWLEDGEABLE there then to answer our questions. We asked about two or three, and each time, she had to run out of the room and ask someone else ... so we just stopped asking. The first question was about the one way busing, and we were told emphatically, no, that's not right ... if they bus one way, they'd bus the other too. Then she asked someone else a few minutes later if that was right, and we were told, no ... AM gets dropped off home (no pick up) and PM gets picked up (no drop off). Why, I don't know. I'm just not feeling a whole lot of faith, KWIM?
ETA: Also, another choice quote from the principal ... he STRONGLY encouraged us (the ones who would like to drive their kids to and from school, which would be me) to just drop off our kindergardeners at the curb. That they "swear we don't lose kids." My mouth fell on the floor. Maybe I'm a helicopter mother, I don't know. But even to this day, my son has to wait for me to get out of the van (unless we're in our own driveway) and then we walk where ever we are going, hand in hand. He told us that the way the lot is set up, we'd be stuck behind the buses for a half an hour at least if we parked and walked our kids into class. I'm not that old that I don't remember the chaos of arrival at school. I just can't imagine sliding the door of my van open for my 5 year old and driving away (he specifically told us that we had to leave immediately because there'd be a line to drop off, so we couldn't watch them get to a teacher or whatever). Maybe he thought he was just being reassuring, but I swear every time he opened his mouth, I got a little more scared.
daniele_ut
08-25-2009, 08:19 PM
If you feel strongly about sending your own snack to school, then do so, but don't expect that there will be a refrigerator. DS goes to full day pre-K and we currently pack his lunch because we registered after the deadline for the first month of school lunches (and because I'm not sure we want to do school lunch yet). His lunch bag has an ice pack to keep things cool. He eats the school-provided snack in the morning and afternoon, though, and I have no problem with it. Our school's snack program is designed by a nutritionist and the menu is posted in the classroom for the entire month. It consists of things like baby carrots, celery sticks, crackers, cheese cubes, fruit - basically the same things I give DS for snack at home.
As for the busing issue, if you are not able to get your DS into the school that buses both directions, I would really recommend that you talk to another mom about helping you carpool in an emergency. I bought a booster for DS for just this reason and it sits in our garage so our emergency pickup person can come get it if dh or I are detained for some reason.
egoldber
08-25-2009, 08:51 PM
Our school has that same issue with the buses. If you park to walk in, you can't do it in the school lot, you have to park on the street. The carpool drop off line is very common.
I just can't imagine sliding the door of my van open for my 5 year old and driving away
This is how dropoff lines work. The line would take forever otherwise. I was not comfortable doing this with Sarah at first, but after a couple weeks when I was more confident she knew her way to the classroom, it was fine.
ETA: Having technical difficulties here.
kristenk
08-25-2009, 09:28 PM
Our drop-off line works the same way. I'm going to park and walk DD in for a little while longer, but, after that, I'll be doing the car line in the morning. We already do the car line in the afternoon, so she's used to that.
DD's school has tons of people who help with the morning drop-off. Their goal is to get cars in and out as quickly and safely as possible. Honestly, morning drop-off is a bit chaotic right now, but I'm hoping it settles down. I don't think that DD would be comfortable with me dropping her off right now, but for the rest of the week, I'm going to have her take the lead in getting into the school (opening the doors) and going to her classroom while I'm with her so she and I both know that she can do it on her own.
Does your DS's teacher have an email address listed on the school's website? If so, you could email with a few questions. If not and I were in your shoes, I'd probably call the school office and ask someone there. Even if your teacher is still out, there might/should be a lead teacher for Kindergarten who could answer your question.
Beth, this whole thing could totally just be me being the paranoid, over-reactive mother that I usually am. I try to not be so restrictive ... I really do. I think it's just a combination of my personality, my first child, everything being the opposite of what I'm expecting, etc. I'm sure I'll be posting here in a month or two ... "yeah, I just swing the door open and let him hop out and then I'm GONE, baby!!" LOL I know I need to lighten up and I try to remind myself of that everyday. :)
g-mama
08-25-2009, 09:43 PM
ETA: Also, another choice quote from the principal ... he STRONGLY encouraged us (the ones who would like to drive their kids to and from school, which would be me) to just drop off our kindergardeners at the curb. That they "swear we don't lose kids." My mouth fell on the floor. Maybe I'm a helicopter mother, I don't know. But even to this day, my son has to wait for me to get out of the van (unless we're in our own driveway) and then we walk where ever we are going, hand in hand. He told us that the way the lot is set up, we'd be stuck behind the buses for a half an hour at least if we parked and walked our kids into class. I'm not that old that I don't remember the chaos of arrival at school. I just can't imagine sliding the door of my van open for my 5 year old and driving away (he specifically told us that we had to leave immediately because there'd be a line to drop off, so we couldn't watch them get to a teacher or whatever). Maybe he thought he was just being reassuring, but I swear every time he opened his mouth, I got a little more scared.
This is exactly the way the kiss and ride works at public elementary schools. It's very regimented and works like clockwork. When they get out of the car, they are walking in with a whole bunch of other kids right into the front doors, not alone. I can understand why they don't want you to park and walk in. Our parking lot would be gridlocked if people did that. There are teachers who rotate this duty and supervise and assist the students. Of all the things you're worried about, I would say do not worry about this one. :)
g-mama
08-25-2009, 09:48 PM
Beth, this whole thing could totally just be me being the paranoid, over-reactive mother that I usually am. I try to not be so restrictive ... I really do. I think it's just a combination of my personality, my first child, everything being the opposite of what I'm expecting, etc. I'm sure I'll be posting here in a month or two ... "yeah, I just swing the door open and let him hop out and then I'm GONE, baby!!" LOL I know I need to lighten up and I try to remind myself of that everyday. :)
You'll be okay. :hug:
I can hardly believe that 3 years ago, I stood out at the bus stop with my firstborn and sent him off on a bus and trusted that somehow he'd get where he needed to go once he got to school. That year, it was us and one other student, a 5th grader, at our bus stop and he did not know a single person from the neighborhood or from preschool who was going to the same school. I guess because he wasn't worried, I wasn't either. In hindsight, I was very trusting!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.