Monday, August 24, 2009

School

Tomorrow is Hailey's (my oldest) first day of Kindergarten. It will be at Twin Creeks Elementary school which is a public elementary school that runs from K-5. The school is about a mile and a half from the house, just a little too far to walk. The school has its act together, having a back to school picnic and allowing families to get a tour of the facility and get familiar with the campus. The only real complaint I had about that night was that the Kindergarten teachers were nowhere in sight. Maybe we didn't look hard enough, but it would've been nice to see them.

As with every other business or institution, there is a shortfall in the funding to the school. Therefore all parents are encouraged to donate money. This school had a registration day where all families had to go to make sure all the paperwork was filled out correctly. They went "green" and e-mailed all the appropriate flyers and forms, most of which were for raising support. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, we got out of there spending less than $300. The only thing that was kind of weird to me was the $3 disaster preparedness donation. I had to ask what that was for. Turns out it was for food during a disaster. Apparently if there is an earthquake or fire or whatever and the kids have to remain on campus, they will get food and drink if you pay $3. I dutifully paid my $3, but it left me wondering. Do they have a list? How will they know to feed my daughter and not someone else? If you don't pay, do you just starve? Kinda strange, but at least I'm assured (I think) Hailey won't starve in case of a disaster.

Overall, I think that the school is doing a good job. The San Ramon School District has always been perceived as one of the better districts in the area. I've heard reports that this is more perception than reality, but so far I'm encouraged by Twin Creeks. They seem to have the kids' best interests in mind and are doing what they can to make it an enjoyable experience. I'll find out more tomorrow

1 comment:

  1. Wow, $300 is a lot for Day 1 of school? I only had to donate $100 for Kalista in Sacramento. Maybe San Ramon has better food...

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