I Got Accepted, I mean...

I must say it is CRAZY that I have been so worried or anxious about where Zoë will go to school this fall. Even nuttier is that I've been thinking about it since last summer!

We explored our options: Private school, Private Catholic School, Public School, Public Magnet School. My first choice was Kennedy Primary Academy (grades k-4) that is a rigorous academic program. It has excellent teachers, and focuses on math, science, with some foreign language (Spanish) and works on reading and literature. Since it is a magnet program, and the best in Indiana (based on test scores and student:teacher ratio), it isn't so easy as to just enroll your student.

So, at the early age of barely-five, I felt like I was experiencing a college application process! There were the letter of recommendations/evaluations that her teacher at ECDC had to submit (confidentially). There was the parental evaluation where there were actually "essay" sections- after ranking your child's proficiency on certain academic abilities (count from 1-30, simple addition up to 20, reading books, writing letters, etc.) a parent had to then give examples of how the child excelled in any of the areas. Whew!

Then, there was the TEST. Da-da-da-daaaaah.

Yes, Zoë had to go to school and take a test in March. I felt it right to tell her it was a test, but that it would be fun, kinda like playing games or doing "homework" like we've done at home. I was a little shocked she was the first child to come back from the testing. I started to worry if maybe she didn't finish, or didn't do it right... or maybe it was so easy?

We were the last of the testing groups (how did those other parents wait so long!?!?), we found out last week that of the nearly 300 applicants, Zoë was accepted into one of the 115 spots for all-day Kindergarten. Yipeee!

I know for a fact that it is I who is most excited for her to go to that school in particular. But Zoë is super excited to be going to kindergarten. She talks about how she'll have a backpack, and I'll have to get her special clothes and she will ride the bus (No, mom, you can't drive me. I have to ride the bus!), and will have a new teacher.

I knew that Zoë would do well pretty much wherever she went to school, and I had faith (and prayed) that she would go to the best place for her. I know that we won't be here long enough for any program to matter all that much. But, when you can give your kid the best, shouldn't you shoot for it?