School in White Salmon began on Wednesday, August 29. On Sunday, August 26 we knew for sure that we had a house to rent in Milpitas and would be moving on Saturday, September 1.
What to do? What to do? Should I send Adah and Maggie for the first 3 days of school in White Salmon, or would that just make it harder on them and be disruptive to the classrooms?
On Tuesday, August 28, I took the kids over to the elementary school to see if we could find some of their teachers and friends and say goodbye. At that point, I was planning to NOT send the girls to school. Even though Adah and Maggie both really wanted to go, I figured it would be more trouble for the teachers and the school and didn't want to be a bother.
As we stepped up to the front door of the school, it suddenly hit me that we were really moving. I'd been going to that school with my children for four years and I suddenly realized all that it meant to me and that we weren't going to be there this year. When we walked through the front doors my friend Marisa was sitting at a PTO information table. She could see that my eyes were filled with tears--I was trying to hold it back for the kids' sake--and she just gave me a big hug. From then on, each familiar face I saw made me about lose it and I pretty much just couldn't talk to anyone for about 15 minutes.
The whole episode came as quite a shock to me. Up until then we had been saying goodbye to people--we even had a big goodbye party in the park just before Damon left town--but I always felt that I'd see them at least one more time before we left. But now, at the school, it really was becoming a reality to me. We wandered around visiting all of the girls' old classrooms and teachers and then visiting the teachers that they were supposed to have this year, and I was really grieving for leaving behind such a wonderful school and community of teachers, administrators, and parents.
We talked to the girls' assigned 2nd and 4th grade teachers and I wasn't sure if they wanted my girls to come for the first 3 days. They told me it was up to us and that they had desks for them (since up until then I'd been telling the principal that I didn't know for sure when we were moving--it all depended on if Damon could find a house right away). It was when we saw the principal and she told me that the teachers really did want my girls there and she said, "Just send them!" that I decided we'd do it.
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| Maggie with principal Mrs. Prendergast |
Damon had been gone for about 5 days and we hadn't done a lick of school shopping, but we still managed to pull things together for an 8:15 a.m. start the next morning! I found a few unpacked school supplies that I thought the girls might need for the first few days, made lunches (although I think the lunch boxes were packed), and helped choose some clothes from their summer wardrobes. I know it was the best decision. It gave my girls something to look forward to; they were thrilled to be out of the house and with their friends during their final days in White Salmon. I was happy to have two less kids in the house while I was trying to pack. At that point in the summer and the stressful moving process, we all needed a little space and this was the perfect remedy.
So, here's Adah on her first day of 4th grade, ready to set out from the house:
And here's second grader, Maggie:
Holly insisted on wearing her backpack, so here she is ready to take her big sisters to school:
Here are my school girls outside of Whitson Elementary. I've always hidden the name of the school on the blog for security reasons, but now that we're gone and that's not where they spend their days anymore, I figure it's okay, and time that the school got it's full due. : )
Maggie's teacher really was ready for her. Her name was on the poster outside the classroom.
Maggie's teacher was Mrs. Beseda. She was also Adah's second grade teacher. She is fabulous--so much fun, very loving, and good at challenging her "Einstein kids." She also has class pets. Maggie was pretty bummed that she would be missing out on second grade with Mrs. Beseda since she saw her sister have such a great year in that classroom. I'm so glad Maggie got to have her three days with Mrs. Beseda, who had a special treat for the class to say farewell to Maggie on Friday. She told me that Maggie had become such a part of the class already and they almost forgot she would be leaving.
Miss Mayfield was Adah's 4th grade teacher. While there was no older sister to give Adah a sneak peek of what Miss Mayfield's class would be like, I had worked with Miss Mayfield in the PTO for a couple of years and came to really like and respect her. More than one person had told me she was the best teacher in the school, and I was really looking forward to having Adah in her class. She was so great for those 3 days and told me that she was sorry to have Adah go since Adah was engaged and answering questions and just a delight to have in class.
While kids were back in school on Wednesday, I left Gunnar and Holly with our friend Rich while his wife Carla took a bunch of my friends and me out to lunch. We had such a fun time chatting and enjoying good food and then good ice cream. I love these women. I've got stories about each one of them rescuing me in some way over the last seven years. I miss them dearly.
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| Jody, Kate, Brooke, Carisa, Jillaire, Aimee, Andrea, and Carla at Mike's Ice Cream in Hood River |
More than once I have wished that I could teleport my girls back to White Salmon each day from 8:15 to 2:55 and for their weekly music lessons. We were set up to have some really fantastic teachers this year. Still, after a bit of a bumpy start (more posts to follow), the girls are really enjoying their schools and teachers here. We will always remember Whitson fondly.
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