Back to School

Both T and M went to their first day of public school in Hawai'i today.  School actually started for most students a little over a week ago but the principals wouldn't accept them until they were sure there was enough room in their classes, but they both got in so we registered them on Monday, bought a uniform, and they started today, which also happens to be my birthday.  They are also both signed up for ESL.

So far so good.  They both brought home homework to do tonight.  The only hiccup was confusion on the schools part about T's supply list.  He was supposed to get the list when we picked him up today (according to the front office), but his class teachers thought that he should already have the school supplies today and have been given the list by the front office yesterday...a basic blame-the-person-who-is-not-there run around.  So we stopped driving, I went into the office, found someone and asked for the list.  After some surprise and rummaging around in drawers they found it and gave me a copy. 

We also found out today that red clothes are completely banned at the schools, because of gangs, which rules out a lot of the clothes the kids have.  So I suppose we will have to do some clothes shopping this weekend.

I am not a big fan of public schools, at least in the way they are currently implemented with ridiculously little funding.  I must admit I am very apprehensive about this and hope that it works out for the kids.  I plan to continue to supplement the kids education with home schooling along the way. 

Also, V is the star of her class!  She registered and took advanced placement tests for her degree program.  She was one of a few people to place out of one of the classes (she scored so high on the test she does not have to take the class).  She was the only person this year to place out of a second class.  And she only missed a third advanced placement by three points, and she was the highest score in the third test!