Today was a transition day. I pulled together two piles of paperwork: 1. the materials I needed to re-enroll the kids, and 2. the last Quarterly Reports and Annual Assessments to send off to the Office of Homeschooling.
The process of re-enrolling was really stupid. I was told last year when I called Office of Enrollment that as long as I re-enrolled within one calendar year the kids would get their spots back. Officially, they were "un-enrolled" at the very end of August when we sent in our forms to the Office of Homeschooling. So, in April I called the Office of Enrollment -- several times... And emailed -- multiple times... Finally, I was told that I could re-enroll them, and that I should go up to the Office of Enrollment. I trekked up and after navigating past the front-desk, feeling every bit like Office of Enrollment was a doppelganger office to the DMV, I thought: "How could these people already be so cranky -- the office has only been open for fifteen minutes?"
"I can't talk to you until you fill out these forms."
"Okay."
"When are you enrolling them?"
"For September."
"We don't enroll now for September. We only enroll for right now. We enroll for September in August."
"Oh... okay..." (I set the clipboard back down on the desk)
"What are you doing? I said fill out the forms."
"But you said I couldn't enroll my kids."
"I can't talk to you until you fill out the forms."
Forms completed, she talked to me. And told me the most ridiculous thing... Once your kid is NOT enrolled for the upcoming year, they are retroactively un-enrolled on July 1 -- regardless of when they were un-enrolled/enrolled elsewhere. But enrollment for September doesn't start until August. Thus, the one-calendar-year stipulation is actually impossible to fulfill if you're trying to coordinate with a school year... Ergo, the promise that your kid can return to his/her elementary school is void.
I fully went in to the scheme understanding that there was a very real chance that the kids would not be able to return to their school. And I honestly felt that whatever worked out would be workable. That said, the sheer MEANNESS of the situation made me feel like I was going to POP! I can handle losing... but losing to cheaters feels almost unbearable.
After willing the tears of frustration to stay in my ducts, I looked at the lady and said:
"Okay. We will not be in town for the next month, when we return, can I enroll them for the last day of school -- that will make it "within one year" considering the July 1 fake-date."
She cracked a smile and raised an eyebrow, and said she would call me. She did call me, and told me that it would work, but I would need to contact the principal.
And so I contacted the principal, and she apparently contacted "the network" (the mafia-like group that principals have -- they share resources, back each other up, etc.). She said that she would get back to me. I checked in and emailed repeatedly while on our trip. I tried to carefully walk the line between making sure our case didn't get buried, and not being obnoxious... Finally, we got the email that not only would we be allowed to re-enroll, but the kids wouldn't have to start again until September (hooray for the mafia... I mean network!), BUT we would need to re-enroll before the end of school.
As soon as we got home I emailed the parent coordinator... and didn't hear back... and didn't hear back. Time was getting short. Again, what's "reminding" and what's being obnoxious? Anyway, this story is already longer than it needs to be (believe me, that's what I was thinking: why is this so much more complicated than necessary?) Come now, no, don't come now. We need this, we don't need that... blah, blah, blah...
Today we finally went to the school -- with our pile of paperwork -- and re-enrolled. It's official. Or at least as official as anything can be when dealing with the DOE.
The thing that was strange, when walking into the school, was that it was like we had never left. Everybody's hair styles were the same; the PA room that I helped paint/decorate was still decorated the same. I know that it was just one year, and yet it made me think that while our family had been having one of the most memorable years to date, another year could have just slipped by. I don't know how to articulate that. It made me feel like I had just barely caught the train, or something... I went to college in Hawaii, and one morning my friends and I got up before the sun and planted ourselves on the beach and waited. We watched the sun come up over the ocean, and saw hundreds of tiny crustaceans pop up and dance around the waves. We marveled that THIS happened every morning while we were sleeping. I don't know -- something about seeing that painted PA room reminded me of the incredulous what-do-we-miss-every-morning!?!-feeling that I experienced that morning on the beach. I'm a grateful, grateful gal that this year has happened.
And the kids were totally okay with being back. While sitting in the main office waiting to fill out all the paperwork, The Boy -- who has been most resistant to returning -- said, "I think it will be just a tiny bit fun to be back."
So we're good. We're good.
(I'm a tiny bit depressed about the scheme being about over, and about the bulk of the family clearing out today, but it's okay. I'm grateful that The Girl and Judd the Red Chicken get to go back to such a great school where there are so many kind and smart people. I know that this is absolutely what is best for the kids, for our family. We're good. I'm good. Transition days -- even if they're good, are still a bit sad.)
Two more days of "school."
