Another First Day of School

So a few years ago I put Carson's name into the lottery for American Preparatory Academy. I really wanted him to attend school there, but I hadn't heard anything. So imagine my surprise when they contacted me last week letting me know our family was selected. Wow, what a shocker. Suddenly we had a huge decision to make about where to send the boys for school.
We decided to tour the campus and get a feel for the school. Well, after two hours of listening to various classroom instruction, we were impressed. They do direct instruction which I think will be good for the boys since it really engages the students. Carson is a good student, but talks too much and really struggles with math. He did so poorly in math last year that I was under constant stress and had many sleepless nights. I worked with him and worked with him. If I didn't feel he understood the concept well enough then I printed off extra sheets from the internet and worked with him some more. He just fell further and further behind. They taught math straight across the board. You either got it or you didn't. No ability based groups, no extra help. Yes or no. I honestly didn't know what else to do.
Landon is a great student and as of yet doesn't struggle with anything, but he's a talker. Honestly, if you know who my husband is that won't come as a surprise. American Prep divides the kids up for various subjects based on level. For instance, Carson was tested and put in with a sixth grade group for reading, I have yet to hear his math results, but I'm excited he'll be put in an appropriate math group.
They have what they call break out rooms, which are essentially mini classrooms they go to for different subjects and meet with kids on their same level. It's not either you get it or you don't. THAT is what convinced us to give it a try. I figure we'll give it time and if we don't see significant improvement in math skills we'll put them back in their home school, but for now we're optimistic since their state test scores are high. It's a tough school with high demands and plenty of homework, but we have high hopes.
 What I hate is driving. They have over five hundred students all being picked up. There is a great system in place where they display numbers. Each family is assigned a number and when our number is displayed on the screen it means I'm at the curb waiting and the boys come out, but it still takes time. I much prefer to kiss my boys, send them out the door and welcome them home in the afternoon. I do not enjoy driving, and traffic and snowy roads stress me out.
The boys are required to wear uniforms which is a big hit with Carson. He loves it that everyone looks the same and there are no kids who are popular based purely on what they're wearing. Smart kid.
The older boys wear brown or black leather shoes, khakis, a white oxford shirt, navy blue vest or cardigan and a red/navy striped tie. The younger boys wear the same, but no tie and they can wear navy polo shirts. They look so cute and Carson LOVES his uniform. On Fridays the older boys can wear a navy polo shirt rather then oxford and tie, and he was a bit disappointed I had him wear a polo because he knows he looks so nice with vest and tie. Love it. I always wanted uniforms growing up and it sure makes for simplified school shopping. Too bad I'd already purchased a full wardrobe for school.
It was such a hard decision to make since I love having them right up the street, knowing I can get to them quickly in an emergency. I love helping in their classrooms or meeting them in the park on their way home. (I will volunteer at the new school but it's not the same) However, this truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity. With 11,000 families on their wait list we wouldn't get the opportunity again if we turned it down. At least if it doesn't work out for the better we gave it a shot. I sure hope it works out, but I miss knowing they're close to home.
I feel a little sad every time I hear the bells ring. Before when I'd hear the bells I could imagine the boys rushing to line up. Knowing they aren't up there amid the shrieking children makes me a bit sad. Being a mom is so hard. Wonderful, but hard.
A quick story about Carson's tie. He didn't have it for the first day, which they let slide since it was his first day. But I had to find one for Monday. Well, there was a store out west that had some so yesterday I headed out. In the parking lot I was at a stop sign when a car turned left in front of me. I could tell she was turning too sharp so I tried to swerve to the right to move out of her way. Well, she misjudged and scraped her car right along the side of mine. All I could do was sigh and laugh. This makes FOUR times my car will be in the body shop in less than a year and a half. I was backed into in a parking lot, a storm grate popped up and broke my bumper, I was backed into again last Spring and now this. While they're working on it I think I'm going to have them paint a bright red bullseye on the front. John was a more than a little worried when I called to tell him, insisting he needed to come out. It really wasn't a big deal at all, but this was the last nail in the coffin. We'll have the car painted and sell it. He's been at me to get a bigger vehicle lately since I'm driving with precious cargo in the back seat, and I think he's at the point where he's done suggesting or asking, he's about to insist. It is smart to drive something larger, but boy, I sure am in love with my Prius. Once my kids are grown I think I'll reward myself for all my hard work by buying another. Here are some pictures of the boys on their first day (yesterday). They both had a good first day and were excited to go to school again today.