A foray into the school office

Well, not INTO the office, but valuable time spent poking my head through the hatch. I don't actually know who I spoke to - you see, if I was any good at schmoozing and networking I'd have made sure I knew exactly who it was - but she was enormously helpful and lovely.

The results of my enquiries:
- Daughter is still not on the milk list, but might be for next week, I need to check again after pick-up today (so much for a slick online process; it's over a week since I registered her)
- I have a school timetable, it is identical to the LEA's (fine) but does seem to have only been distributed via the end of term newsletter, which would again be fine if Reception parents without older children had been sent a copy
- the Reception parents' meeting is on the 17th, again this was in the newsletter, and we are supposed to be hearing about it soon - this is pretty short notice for anyone who needs to arrange babysitting cover in order to go (eg single parents or anyone whose partner is away)
- there is no second booklet, despite the note in the first booklet that says there is a second booklet to come!
- apparently we should have been sat down when the children visited last term, and told about various practical things like milk and PE kits, but this didn't happen - this is 'should have been' as in 'this used to happen' rather than 'this should definitely have happened'

It seems that part of the problem is that there are very few parents as utterly clueless as we are, and the induction procedures have maybe got a little slack for that reason. Over half this year's Reception intake are siblings (official siblings, ie siblings of children further up the school) and at least two children are younger siblings of secondary age children, so while they are not siblings in intake terms (ie get preference over non-siblings) their parents HAVE been through the system before.

It sounds like the website is out of date because the woman who does it has been busy doing network stuff instead. I may have inadvertantly not-quite-volunteered to help out. Will see if anything comes of that.

And if I want to help out in class I need to talk to the class teacher (even though it'd be the opposite class, as that's the policy in Reception). It wouldn't be until after half-term, and I need to be CRB checked (I knew that, and I've been 'done' before, so no big deal).

And the biographical note

Brief biography, biographical note, statement - I've sealed the envelope and I can't remember what it says? I've interpreted it to be a personal statement, it's not exactly a manifesto, but a little more than a biography - wasn't too sure that much of my 'biography' would be relevant.

Anyway, here it is:

"I am new to the school, with my daughter [name] having just started in Reception, and am keen to get involved in the life of the school. I am an internal auditor at [employer], where I have worked for twelve years. In this role I have gained knowledge of governance and financial management, along with skills in time management and communicating with a wide range of people. I work part-time, which gives me time to dedicate to helping the school continue to improve, and means I will be visible to other parents at school pick-up time."

I raided the annals of Mumsnet for some tips. I feel a little funny about the last bit, but I thought it was worth making it clear that I'm part-time and will do pick-up, so I'll be around to talk to people, plus I'm not some high-powered long-hours person who will have nothing to do with the school apart from parachuting in for evening meetings! I suppose the fact that Daughter has just started is biographical detail - plus I figured that if I weren't standing and was faced with a load of candidates I knew nothing about, I'd be pretty inclined to vote for a fellow Reception parent, all other things being eequal.

So tomorrow I shall drop it into the office. I also need to ask about a term timetable (still working off default LEA one, but have just seen my friend's daughter's timetable, at a different school, and it's different to the LEA one!), whether Daughter has made it on the milk list, and when the new parents' meeting is.

Today I've also tidied the conservatory and done my evening's volunteer work, so I feel quite virtuous. Daughter has been to see her nursery best friend, a 'playdate' (yuck) which started with tears and ended with tears, but went unusually well in the middle. Oh, and the world failed to end. Good day all round.

I has signatures

I've got a proposer and a seconder (#1 buttonholed at school drop-off after she returned the socks I'd lent her daughter when her wellies leaked last week, #2, my next-door-but-one neighbour called in on on the way home from the school run).

Now I need the personal statement. I don't know how to start it. Still, it's good to have the signatures sorted, now it's just up to me. The deadline is actually 9am on Monday, so I am going to try to get it in before then.

Talking to my neighbour it seems like a few things are wrong admin-wise this year. Her son is in Yr1 and her daughter in Reception, and she's seen a difference between the two years' intakes. Notes to school don't seem to be getting out of bookbags at the moment. Not sure what is going on with Yr1, but I wonder with Reception if the parent helper is just too busy looking after the little ones to do this job? Being optimistic here. The milk seems to have been a problem all round, and still no timetable forthcoming. She did tell me though that the class list was a parent initiative last year, so I'll stop waiting for that to miraculously appear. I'm tempted to organise it, but she's said if no one else does it she will, so I will step back and try to stop being such a control freak.

Anyway, sitting in my neighbour's house drinking coffee after a wet school run is just the ticket, but it wasn't getting MY house tidy, so I've come home. Not that blogging is getting my house tidy either of course.

And now for the masterplan ...

... take over the world. Failing that, become parent governor.

To this end, I have recruited one person to either propose or second me - I need someone else to fulfil the other role, of course. There is nothing explicit that says Husband can't do it ... but given that most people won't have a clue who I am it would probably look much better if people who I'm not married to think I'd be a good governor! I have someone to ask tomorrow.

Also to this end, I have made sure there is nothing terribly embarrassing on my Facebook profile.

There is a fair bit of information online about what governors do - given the rather short notice to get nominations in, I'll scan it, but at a first glance (and this was my understanding) it's not unlike being a non-executive director.

In addition to getting my seconder (or proposer, depending on whose name goes where) I need to submit a 100 word personal statement. So, what will make other parents vote for me*?

I am thinking of:
- my professional background as an auditor (governance, and some finance)
- the fact that I'm a Reception parent, and therefore will serve the full four years (which would be true of Year 1, 2 and 3 parents as well of course)
- proximity to the school?

* this is assuming it's contested, there are three posts vacant so it's possible not

The Second Day

Much as I would like to reel off the names of the children in Starting School here (see post title) I can't remember them in order. David and Sophie and Sushma and Robert and Alison ... or thereabouts.

Second half day, of course. While I'm here thinking I cannot believe we have six weeks of this part-time messing about still to go, I have a friend in ... Bolton, I think ... who has had to talk her son's headteacher into letting him go part-time for just three days, rather than straight in. There's got to be a middle way, surely?

Meanwhile, after school this afternoon we went to see one of Daughter's nursery friends. She has just had a home visit from her Reception teacher, and both teaching assistants. She starts next week, and I think is only part-time for two weeks. This seems like an option - don't start the Reception class with the rest of the school (ours did, to the day) but use the time instead to do home visits. That way children in nursery could stay there a little longer, making their parents lives easier, and the teacher (and teaching assistants as applicable) could get a little one-on-one time with each child, something our school hasn't done.

Making life easier for parents though - not sure if this is even a consideration. I have been told (and should stress told by parent with child at a different school) that the headmaster 'doesn't like working mothers'. I am sincerely hoping this is just gossip and sour grapes. There are three mothers just in Daughter's half of her class (fifteen children) working for my employer alone!

What is annoying me at the moment though is that they haven't yet updated the website with the school diary for this year, neither have they notified us of the term dates for the year. I am working purely off the default county timetable, which I hope is what they are working off! I will start to prod shortly (I'll be very disappointed if NOTHING comes home tomorrow in the bookbag) but don't want to do it just yet. It's very well saying we can have a chat with the teacher at hometime, but at the moment the children are being very carefully let out one by one, and to wade in there and need to talk to the teacher would be highly disruptive.

Ho hum.

Hometime is funny though - they line up, the teacher gets them to spot a parent and their little faces light up, and off they go. So cute. If they don't see anyone, back to the back of the queue!

In other random news - first school dress lasted two (half days) and has a mystery mark near the zip, clean one tomorrow; first pair of socks worn were trashed yesterday, made her change into jeans to go on the trampoline in the wet, and wet brand-new jeans + white socks + rain = blue socks, oops; water bottle got lost yesterday but has turned up today. Also I tidied the hall and have dedicated one shelf to my bag collection and one to Daughter's. Go me. Living room tomorrow.

The big (half) day

Daughter is at school. We were ready to go about 20 minutes earlier than we needed to be, so Husband could see her all dressed up (and hair done, which is a change from previous uniform fashion shows). I mentioned about ten minutes later that I could see children on their way to school, and she wanted to go. We held out five minutes and off we went.

Despite only half Reception being in it was very busy. It doesn't help each child having at least one, often two parents with them, not all of whom are actually looking out for other people's small children milling around their knees. We waited a while, with Daughter getting increasingly attached to my leg, then went in.

We found Daughter's peg - right in the corner, which is handy to remember, although a bit lacking in space. She is next to the only child from nursery in her half of her class, and sharing a double peg with a little boy. There doesn't look like an awful lot of space with these double pegs rather than separate ones - not for a PE kit, art apron and full winter regalia. Daughter's is pretty full with the PE and art stuff plus a light waterproof. Water bottle goes on a shelf above the pegs (will be interesting to see how much has been drunk when she comes home) and book bag in her drawer.

I was alright until I got back to the house and spotted another first day mother getting into her car opposite and looking a bit pink and watery. But anyway, now I just need to do constructive things for the next couple of hours.

Free milk, and a free rein on packed lunches

Conversation with my neighbour re milk has been preying on my mind. She mentioned how last year she was the only parent who'd not paid for milk for her son at school, and he went two weeks without it and it was a bit shaming. This year she'd got it into her head she had lost an invoice for her daughter's milk, and got her husband to call the school. Talking to me, she decided she probably hadn't had an invoice, because they won't have milk while they're part-time.

Okay, I went away and thought 'hang on, they're in for alternating mornings and afternoons, and they have milk in the mornings, so surely they WILL have milk while they're part time?' Today I was looking in the prospectus for something else, and it says they're entitled to free milk until they're 5, forms can be collected from the school office.

Argh.

One - when trying to figure out what I need to do for the start of school, an obscure paragraph in the middle of the prospectus is not my first port of call.

Two - getting things from office = not so practical when school is more-or-less closed for six weeks.

I know schools are not literally shut for the six plus weeks of the summer holidays (my mum was a teacher) but I wonder if they forget that we don't ALL know this, and that even parents who do realise this DON'T know when there will be people in school who might be able to answer questions. And supply forms for free milk. I feel we've been rather left hanging for the summer, and think a little extra contact wouldn't go amiss.

On the plus side, the milk people have a freephone number, and even better, a website (coolmilk.com) so I didn't have to drag myself and Daughter (not dressed yet) the enormous distance (200 yards?!) to the school for a form. Apparently they may well not deliver on the first day of term anyway, so she may not miss out on much.

Another bonus was talking to the other Reception teacher, so I got info without making a blithering prat of myself to Daughter's teacher (I always make a blithering prat of myself over the phone). She was very helpful and reassuring. Best thing of all ...

... there are NO rules about what can go in packed lunches. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's nice to be treated like a responsible grown-up (even when you secretly suspect you're not one at all). Yes, she said they encourage a healthy lunch, but no absolute bans. The one thing she said was not to send too much, and to remember that at first she will come straight home after lunch!

I am much reassured. So homemade flapjack will not be classified as an unhealthy cake and be banned, and the occasional Mini Roll (mm) might just find its way in there. Excellent.

Daughter has actually had a practice packed lunch today. She had:

- one round sandwiches (Laughing Cow on Best of Both bread)
- teeny packet Mini Cheddars
- carrot sticks
- apple
- cereal bar
- banana milk

We concluded that a whole round of sandwiches was too much (although she often will eat this much if she's starving and there's not a lot else on offer); carrot sticks went mostly untouched (tough - they're still going in); not much apple was eaten (will look out for teeny apples, and send grapes or suchlike when possible); couldn't open cereal bar (pre-open it); banana milk barely touched the sides.

Daughter declared this an excellent packed lunch, and wants exactly the same every day. Laughing Cow sandwiches every day, even though she'd originally requested ham (but we didn't have any in). No pitta, no bagel, no roll or wrap, just white(ish) sliced. I told her she'd get bored. She begs to differ.

We then practised packing it all up again and not leaving the Klippit (on the Mini Cheddars; she can't open packets), ice pack, box (carrot sticks) or sandwich wrap behind.