FINALLY, Summer is Back in Public School

It only took five hours of waiting and paperwork! The waiting was most of it. After two hours, we were about to go into the head counselor’s office to get Summer’s schedule sorted, when something happened that required the campus cop and took two hours to sort. We alternately nodded off, and had punchy giggle fits over various people who wandered through the office. It was mostly painfully dull, with a few bright spots of people-watching. The last hour was working out a schedule with the head counselor.

Did I play the “Don’t give me any shit, we had a house fire” card? Why, yes. Yes I did. People Do Not Ask Questions because they Don’t Want To Know.

The first functionary did indeed ask for the birth certificate when we handed all the other ID over. I stood tall and said “We’re still waiting for it, we have to get it from California, and we have a grace period. District administration told me that.”

She opened and closed her mouth a couple times, trying to think of an argument because she is used to saying no,  and asked, finally, “Are you the biological parents?” “Yes.” She dropped it. HA.

The kid at the school pretty much wear sneakers, hoodies, jeans and tees. I had to make a side trip into the nurse’s office to get Summer’s sot record signed off on, and felt like I was wading through a smelly sea of JUNO extras. Sick, drippy, unegaged kids. The fourth period assistant was in (it was second period), carefully applying eye makeup. The second period assistant was slowly dying at the desk. I left and came back when both assistants gave me a Target Clerk Look and said, “I dunno.”

Summer will only get half-credits because she’s in school half-way through the year. We can send her to summer school to make up missed credits. Summer school (as in a summer semester) is no longer free. We have to pay $110. per 1/2 credit. With money socked  away in case financial aid falls through, we can manage this.

So far, we like everyone we’ve met. The office functionary was kind of bleh, but she is bypassable. Summer immediately found her middle school friends, and even has a class with one.  (So far, she only had two periods left by the time we were done.) She’s already made new friends. Her middle school buddy is taking her to the school anime club tomorrow. (They have an anime club! It’s like the mothership is calling her home!)

I’m so relieved! I have that great feeling of passing into another phase in life, a good one.  I’m so proud of Summer.

Crossposted from divalea.net