1 week down, 35 to go...

I'll begin with the positive. 5th grade is good. Drew has a demanding teacher. He is challenged by different teachers in math and literacy. He has a nice friend in his class. He's planning on playing the French horn in band this year. Rec soccer began this week and he likes it.

Here is your chance to stop reading. After all, you came for a visit. I didn't force this into your inbox.

Only 175 more days of 3rd grade. I would like to tell you about Ellen's class and her schedule and her teacher. But I don't have that information. Here is what I do know.

1. Last Saturday morning, with school less than 48 hours away, we got a call assigning us to a teacher who is new to the district. I've decided that she wasn't hired until Friday or Saturday. So, in her defense, she may be as frustrated as I, but some of this is pretty hard to excuse.

2. I have received NO information from her teacher. No letter of introduction. Did I mention new to district? No schedule, like when to wear sneakers for gym. No teacher contact information, like email and phone number. No note saying "I prefer to cover all this at meet the staff night next week." I've never seen her handwriting, not even correcting papers.

3. No textbooks, despite them cashing my check for $85 book rental. This is a new classroom. One would think that if they just removed 4-5 students from all the other classes (who have textbooks) that those teachers should have extra books. Yet, they had the nerve to send home a PTO fundraiser where the proceeds go toward student rewards.

4. No response to my very polite note offering my volunteering body every week.

5. 5 students new to the school. That's 25%. Seems disproportionately high. This does not include Ellen, who they seem to think is new to the school. Talk about a leftover class.

6. At least 5 boys losing recess time daily. Either they have the dregs of the 3rd grade or there is a problem with the teacher.

7. School-loving Ellen in tears when I picked her up Thursday and not wanting to go on Friday. Thankfully, spending the day with Megan seemed like a more unpleasant prospect.

8. Lots of coloring going on. At least Ellen likes this. But this is 3rd grade. Could you maybe think of something else for those who finish early?

So, I'm plotting my next action carefully. I have all weekend to come up with something. I need to be careful. I'd love to yank her from the class and get her a new teacher but should she end up in third grade hell all year, I don't want the teacher to hate me and take it out on her.