First Day Of Grade Three - For Real

At 4 am Tuesday September 16, it was announced that the BC Teachers' Federation and the government had come to a tentative agreement to end the strike.  On Thursday September 18 the teachers voted.  On Monday September 22, BC elementary, middle and secondary students FINALLY headed back to school.  3 weeks late, and with no plans to make up the lost time.  What should not have surprised me, but did, was the fact that Monday September 22 was the 'regular' 30 minute waste of time.  Bradyn headed back to her Grade 2 teacher's classroom to find out where she was to show up the next day.  By 9:35 am, the first day of school was over.  

Here are Bradyn's Fake First Day of School photos from Monday.

The cool thing was that I had taken the day off so, after having the chance to see all her friends and catch up after such a long summer, Bradyn and I headed out for a day of shopping.  Good fun.

On Tuesday morning, Bradyn wore her much anticipated First Day of School outfit.  No, we did not enroll her in private school this year and no, Panorama did not introduce a school uniform policy (although I have to be honest - I would have absolutely no issue if they did).  Bradyn decided that she absolutely had to have a school uniform and was super excited to finally get to wear it.  Every detail was planned well in advance.  Kevin tied the tie for her so she just had to slip it over her head and tighten it up.  Just look at that smile.

I had to include this one - it clearly catches that glimpse of the attitude we'll be dealing with when she becomes a teenager (although I must admit that we're already having to deal with it many days).

After supper, Bradyn wanted me to take some more photos of her in the library, looking like she was a Hogwarts student, studying magic.

LOVE those big blue eyes!!

Unfortunately, those old law books were a wee bit dusty and it's all over her uniform, but I still love this photo.  Our own Hermione Granger.

We found out on Thursday that Bradyn got the teacher she was so desperately hoping for (and that she's in a Grade 3/4 split class) so, despite the delayed start, we are all looking forward to a really awesome year.

First Day Of Grade 3.... Or Not

For those of you who haven't heard, BC teachers are on strike.  Rotating strike days started back in May and then on June 12, a full 2 weeks before the school year was supposed to end, that was it.  Friday June 13 was already a planned strike day but on that Thursday (after I had dropped Bradyn off at before-school care), it was announced that full strike action was starting on Monday June 16.  Bradyn came home with her desk contents in a black garbage bag and that was that.  Bye-bye Grade 2.  No time to give her teacher a gift (although Bradyn and Kevin did take it to her the following week on the picket line) and a mad scramble to figure out what to do with her for the next 2 weeks (thank God for the ladies at Westwood Montessori!!).

There was a glimmer of hope this past weekend when a mediator met with both sides to see if an agreement could be reached, but no such luck.  So today, while children in the rest of the country were heading back to class, proudly wearing their new sneakers and fancy duds, the elementary and secondary public school kids in BC were still sitting around in their PJs, watching cartoons, heading to specially created day camps, or maybe even heading to work with mom or dad.  I have no first day of Grade 3 photo to share with you yet (although I assure you there are some fancy duds, glow in the dark sneakers and a cool Adidas backpack on the shelf, just itching to be used), I do have these.

Our standard 'in front of the front yard gate' shot.  Not Bradyn, but a picture of the sign she made on Saturday when we explained it was unlikely she would get to go back to school today and see her French Immersion friends.

Kevin and I were very impressed with her creativity.  When Bradyn asked me to make photocopies so that she could tape them up around town, I admit I was a bit taken aback, but then really proud of the fact that she wanted to take action and have her voice heard.  Although we have not yet hung the posters, one copy will definitely be filed away in her school years memory book.

Check back in mid October - maybe we'll have a 'real' First Day of Grade 3 photo for you by then.