From Deliriously Excited to Extremely Bummed in Less Than 60 Seconds

For months - well, maybe more like years! - Rachel has been chomping at the bit to attend kindergarten, that magical land of RECESS and INDEPENDENCE and BIG KIDS. Not to mention the thrill of riding in the legendary BIG YELLOW SCHOOL BUS. I believe she's been drooling over the whole thing since she turned 3. She'll turn 5 at the end of August, a month before the cutoff. Normally, I wouldn't even think twice about holding back a child with a late August birthday, but Rachel couldn't be more ready, and I firmly believe that with these things you have to operate on a case-by-case basis.

So this morning, I took her to our local elementary school to register for next fall. I gave the secretary the required papers - proof both of her updated immunizations and of her existence. I filled out some forms while Rachel practiced writing her name on a scrap piece of paper - she doesn't always cooperate when it comes to taking instruction from me, and I figured this was a great opportunity to reiterate that "if you can't write your name, they probably won't let you in." (I'm so mean) Actually, she's got that down and can write a lot of the alphabet, but the practice is good for her.

What I've been having a hard time with since our return home was the part where I asked about screening. She was given a screening date and time, and being the overacheiving, hyper-paranoid parent whose first child is about to enter school, I asked what, specifically, Rach needs to know/be able to do to enter. I couldn't believe the answer: NOTHING. Say what?? Yep - as long as I want Rachel to attend kindergarten, attend kindergarten she will, regardless of how unprepared or immature a professional educator judges her to be. The "screening" is simply for classroom placement - they want to evenly distribute kids of all abilities. They can "recommend" holding a child back, but it's ultimately up to the parents.

At this point I'm thinking, I should feel relieved right now. Why, then, does this bother me so much? I guess I've just talked to too many people from different school systems about these screenings - kids normally, it seems, are expected to have mastered certain physical and cognitive milestones before even being considered for kindergarten. I mean, come on, even the twin boys on Everybody Loves Raymond went through it - and one was held back!

On the one hand, I'm a little outraged, because I've been working with Rachel all winter on things I thought she needed to know for this "screening" process. On the other hand, I'm more than a little worried. I was unprepared for such low standards.

My mind immediately skips ahead several steps. If they'll accept Rach no matter what, will they advance her to the next grade level that easily - regardless of her mastery of the previous grade level's material? Are the expectations that low? How can we expect our children to take their school work - and the development of their minds - seriously, when kids are being pushed through who obviously don't give a rip? But now I'm just borrowing trouble . . .

I know, it's only kindergarten. And I hope our kids will enjoy learning for learning's sake - knowlege can be its own reward, after all. I pray they will do everything as to the Lord and not for man, whether it be school-related or not. It is infinitely more important that we teach her biblical values, and invest in her academically here at home, than that she receive good instruction at school.

I hope I'm not being ridiculous and anal, but I am beginning to understand why people opt to send their children to Christian school or to homeshcool them!