Back to School

Today was D's first day of 3rd grade. Doesn't he look excited? Frightened is more like it.

D doesn't do well with the flash on cameras, theses are the first few shots we took. We had to break after each one so he could wipe his watery eyes dry. After telling him he didn't need to look directly at the flash, and adding his sister for distraction, we managed to get a couple of decent shots.

Bean is always ready for the camera. She was yelling, "Picture! Picture!" and wouldn't stop until I aimed, and snapped.

Here's the handsome 3rd grader, smiling and eyes wide open for the camera. He said he didn't want to go to school today, but 10 minutes before I was ready to walk out the door, he was standing in the hallway with his lunch box and water. "I'm ready", he said.

We're excited about his new school. Since D was in kindergarten he's been attending private schools. Today, he walked into a prep school that studies on the same curriculum as his past schools. And the best part, we don't have to pay for it anymore. :)

And no more spending 2-1/2 hours after school working on homework. Here, school ends a 2pm and they have a mandatory 1 hour study time where the kids work on what would've been their homework. This allows the teachers to spend time with each child and address his or her needs.

And lastly, SAY NO TO BACKPACKS! They do not allow any backpacks in the classroom. Why? Well, the school provides ALL the supplies and the children will only be carrying folders of completed work home.

This sounds too easy. We'll see.