Back to school night

My apologies to cousin Ryan for the two-day break in posts. With great power comes great responsibility and I won't let it happen again.

Thursday night was Back to School night, which in NJ always meant we sat in way-too-small chairs while each teacher told us how happy she was to earn far less than the rest of us for teaching our children to be future astronauts and presidents and veterinarians. In Niskayuna they opt for an open house approach. It was the kids' job to show us whatever they wanted anywhere in the school. Teachers were in classrooms to say a platitude or two, but there was no formal presentation. Each kid did have a scavenger hunt sheet, which basically instructed them to introduce their parents, show them the library, the gym, the band room. All in all, I preferred the more mellow approach. Both kids seem to be settling in nicely. Here's a sample from Greta's poem titled "Where I'm From":

I am from my mom's old cookbook
From cake pans and an old knife decorated with strawberries.
...
I am from a toy lamb and 3 identical blankets
From Jerry and Patricia
...
I am from Victoria and Robert
From pie and apple crisp
From going to South Lake
And from going to the Syracuse State Fair

The classroom library has both Rick Riordan and Eragon!

Notice again how large Mommy looms in the family portrait, despite my efforts these last three months to be the best homemaker I can be.

I counted 28 iMacs between the classroom and the computer lab. Guess my taxes are good for something.

A cool tradition that saddened me a little -- each kid has a bookmark in the library with photos from all the years they've been at Craig Elementary. So the 5th graders bookmarks are a cool time capsule.

Whereas Lincoln's and Greta's are empty.