Friday, September 12, 2008

The Misadventures of Kennedy Harr

It's gonna be a long year.

I received a phone call from school on Wednesday. It was Kennedy's teacher. Mrs. Settlemyre told me that she was hoping I would talk to Kennedy because for the 2nd day in a row, Kennedy was looking under the stalls in the bathroom. (Yeah, that's right! All you mother's out there-jealous much?) Then, she handed the phone to Kennedy. Dreading what I knew would come next, I began to speak. And there it was, Kennedy crying upon hearing my voice. My heart broke. Putting that aside-that and my frustration about the call-I began to explain to Kennedy that they can not have a bathroom for every student at school, so they have stalls and she has to give the kids privacy just as if they were in the bathroom. With Kennedy still crying, I reassured her I wasn't angry and tried the whole "take a deep breath and blow it away"-to just start over, mind the rules and have a great day. She was still crying when the teacher took the phone, thanked me, and hung up. Then I cried. Not because she was in trouble. Not even because of the phone call. It was because I knew she was upset and embarrassed. More than that because she was there and I was here. Thankfully, we both recovered.

The first 2 weeks of school have included:
1. Kennedy telling her teacher that I forgot to send her lunch (although, I DID NOT), so that she could get a tray and eat in the cafeteria. Of course, she was later busted when her teacher was putting her folder in her back pack and saw her lunch bag.
2. Kennedy having to sit with her head down for talking in the hall.
3. Kennedy having to sit with her head down for running in a circle with 2 other children, yelling, in the classroom.
4. Kennedy having to sit with her head down for not coming in with her class when recess ended, forcing her to knock on the locked door and be let in by another teacher (who happened to hear her). Why? Because Kennedy wasn't ready to come in and just wanted to play more.
5. Kennedy having to call me Wednesday morning from school as a result of looking under the bathroom stalls-and apparently for the 2nd day. Which I knew nothing of AT ALL until the phone rang. According to Kennedy, the first time she couldn't get her stall door open, so she was trying to crawl out and for the second time she was just wanting to talk to her friend.
6. Kennedy in trouble UPON LEAVING THE OFFICE FROM CALLING HOME because Mrs. Settlemyre said, "Let's see if you can find the classroom all by yourself" And she did. She went to the room No further. When Mrs. Settlemyre showed up behind her, she saw Kennedy looking through the window into the classroom watching the kids and having a magnificent time. So, she was in trouble for not going INTO the classroom. (That'll teach her to be more specific when instructing Kennedy to do anything. Rookie.)
What can I say? Buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

5 comments:

Julie said...

what a fun little girl!! She and Frances (my 4 yr. old) would get along great!

April said...

Oh. That makes me sad. Thinking of her doing JUST EXACTLY as the teacher said AND STILL getting in trouble for not going on into the classroom. I love the passion Miss Kennedy seems to have for everything in life. She lives it to the fullest. I am so very glad you are recording all these adventures, for Kennedy, for yourself, and for all of us readers, too! :) She is precious.

Collins Family said...

OK as a Kindergarten Teacher I am sitting here laughing out loud. Hold on momma it is going to be a fun ride!!!!!

Collins Family said...

OK my last comment was supposed to be on the post of her saying those funny things because I hear those funny things all the time in my K class. Now as to this post, poor Kennedy. It takes time to adjust and she will. Hang in there she will do fine and so will you! Love you all!

Kirk said...

All these stories remind me of a certain brunette who got in trouble in Mrs. Moseley's kindergarten class way back in 1981. When put in the hall for not minding the substitute teacher this little girl ran away from school, across the playground, through the neighborhood all the way to a friends house. I wonder who that little brunette was????