So Frustrated

Well Emma's "acceptance" letter for kindergarten came in mail yesterday. First of all that statement is wrong on so many levels. How do you get accepted to a zoned public school? I don't understand that at all.

Second part that really pisses me off, you have to register again, this is the second time we have to go to the school to fill out paperwork and prove we are who we are and we live where we live, worst part? Emma has to come with me, so unnecessary in my opinion, even worse? Her registration time is Wednesday, March 18th, between 9:00-11:00 am. What's the problem with that? Emma goes to school already between 8:45 and 11:15.

My dilemma is, how do I do both? Why should she have to miss school (for the first time no less), go in late or leave early to register for school? What message does that send? She loves school, she loves to be on time, she loves to leave when school is over, and feels no reason to absent unless she is sick. This is something that must be within herself, because I have never "forced" these beliefs on her. I have on several occasions asked her if she wanted to stay home, and her response is always "no". Now, I have to explain to her that she has to miss school, to register for school? What message is that sending? Aside from the entire prospect of my little girl going to school for 6.5 hours a day isn't hard enough, I have this on my mind as I go to bed last night.

I kindly called the school this morning to ask about this, and smartly did not give my name. I don't want it written down already that I am a trouble maker or any other thing that will hinder her having a good experience in school. The woman was very cut and dried, there is nothing that can be done about it, she must report to registration with me on Wednesday between 9 and 11, meaning she must miss school, go in late or leave early. I have the wonderful job of picking the lesser evil. I continue my conversation and again ask the woman how this policy makes sense for someone to miss school, when attendance is stressed as a key to education (OK, not in preschool maybe, but if this is something that is important to my daughter, am I not sending her the wrong message?), the woman at school also informed me that I must be there "way before 11" because she needs to have the process done by 11 to be cleaned up and out of the lunch room for the first lunch period.

So, now, my dilemma continues, if I take the chance and get there for 9:00, what if the process takes so long there is no point in sending her to school for 15 minutes? The other hand is to bring her in at 8:45 and pick her up at 10:15 giving me 45 minutes to get there and complete the registration process? This just sucks! On top of that, I need to stop speaking out loud negatively in regard to school, because Emma has said on several occasions that she wants to stay in her school and not go to a new one. I did tell her that she will have to leave school early on Wednesday and she responded with "I know, to register for a new school, ugh".