Isaac's First Days of School

Isaac and I are both panthers this year. I'm starting my sixth year at Freedom Middle School and in some ways it is only fitting that I am teaching sixth grade. This year I am teaching world history and I am excited about the change in curriculum and the opportunity to work with sixth graders again. It's hard to believe that I'm embarking upon my fourteenth school year as an educator, though I have yet to receive my 10 year pin, go figure... I've learned a lot since I walked into my first classroom in January of 1998. I've always known that my job is special because I am entrusted with other people's children, but this year it is different because I am a mother myself. It's not that I wasn't a mother for the past two years, but this year I am a mother of a student, and some how, some way, it changed things and it feels different. This year Isaac is part of the pre-K class for children with speech and language delays. He seems to be enjoying school and for that we are very thankful. We want his educational career to get off to a great start! This picture was taken a few weeks before school started when we stopped by my school. Isaac is attending Pershing Elementary and I think it's pretty cool that he is a panther!For months Isaac has excitedly pointed out every school bus or public transit bus that we have passed. This June we learned that Isaac qualified for the speech and language program and would have the opportunity to ride the bus too and from school we were all very excited! All summer long Isaac has looked forward to riding the bus to school. A huge milestone on the way to becoming a "big boy."The time has come! We are wearing our Thomas the Train t-shirt and have our Thomas backpack. Mommy walks Isaac to the bus! (Aunt Wendy takes pictures for us!) This way probably the highlight of Isaac's first day of school because about 20 seconds later he finally got the message that he would be riding the bus alone which he was not anticipating! We tried to explain it to him, but how can you explain something he has never experienced? We tried to build it up and explain that he was such a big boy that he could ride the bus to school and back to Aunt Wendy's house every day. I think the hardest thing I've ever done, up until this point, was turn away as the bus driver lead my crying, heartbroken little boy to his special seat on the bus!

Apparently nobody at the school explained to Isaac that the bus would take him to his Aunt Wendy's house. My poor baby was traumatized! He cried the entire ride home and did NOT want to ride the bus the next day.Isaac tells Aunt Wendy about his experience and she offers love and hugs!

Isaac tells mama, "No like ool bu! Scare!" (No like school bus! Scarey!) and then he make a screaming noise. "Scare!" It was so sad! We left Aunt Wendy's and walked over to visit Yeye (grandpa). Luckily shortly after our arrival at Yeye's the ice-cream man came through the neighborhood and we were able to get a yummy Sponge Bob Popsicle. I do believe that ice-cream can make up for a scary day. It helped Isaac recover. The next day we sent Isaac to school with a picture of Mama & Daddy to hold in his hand and a note to ask his teacher to explain that the school bus will always take him back to his Aunt Wendy's house after school is over. He did much better on the bus and reported, "No cy ool bu mama!"(No cry school bus mama!) with a huge smile when I picked him up on Tuesday. He ended his week with 25 stars for good behavior and was able to visit the treasure box where he chose some fun play dough! We hung his paper with the 25 stars on his door and he is very proud of his success!