Freshman Camp

Yesterday, on a day that could melt you right where you stood, the kids had Freshman Camp. Before I go on, I just have to mention this. I know that organizations use the word "camp" in their events to try to lighten the situation up. You think, "Oh, it's just camp! Camp is fun!" In reality, most of the time, these so called camps are just big drags bordering on complete nightmares. There is nothing "camping" about it. Unless you are actually spending the night somewhere and there is a snack cooked over a fire at some point, I think the word camp should be left out of the naming process. But that's just me.



Anyway. Freshman Camp involves all the incoming kids and their parents jamming in the auditorium. It was standing room only by the time everyone got in. "Welcome to high school, blah, blah, blah." Then they sent the kids away leaving the administrators alone with the parents, most it seems who had shown up gunning for a fight. A bunch more blah, blah, blah and then they opened the floor up for questions.



Hands shot up all over the place. As the first woman stood, I thought we would never hear her. But everyone did because she was yelling. Everyone who asked a question was yelling! These people were upset! Mostly they were upset about the traffic, the drop-off situation and parking. And those ARE all upsetting things, but honestly there isn't anything to be done about it. The whole school is surrounded by a construction site. It's literally hell on Earth over there. The views out every window are construction vehicles and partially built walls. It's not fun. It's not funny. But that is what we all signed up for so truly we all just need to suck it up!



Other than that people were yelling about dress codes, emergency procedures, weapons searches, lack of air conditioning, (Where this woman's kid went to elementary school, I would like to know. Nobody has air in the city!) and the lunch room only serving junk food. It was an impressive meeting. One of the most interesting ones that I've ever been to. There were happy moments though. Like when it was announced that cell phones were confiscated on sight. Everyone applauded. That announcement was topped with that the kids' grades would be updated daily on the website along with homework assignments. Big, big applause for that!



After that we got to go find our kids and wander around the building locating their rooms, teachers and lockers. Only one of The Girl's teachers was in the building and ZERO of The Boy's. That didn't make this mommy very happy to say the least. The Girl's schedule takes her on a nonstop-up-and-down-corner-to-corner-roller-coaster-daily-tour of the building. It's not pretty. The Boy's has more of a flow to it.



But the biggest shock of the day came with their schedules. They are on completely different schedules with completely different sets of teachers. Now I know it's a big place, but I didn't think that this was even possible being that they are on the same team. Not one teacher in common?!?!


Again, not a happy mommy here. Not happy at all. If you put me in the auditorium right now, I'd probably start yelling.