Casper school diversity note

The PTA got preliminary enrollment numbers for next fall last night. There will be 4 1st grades, with 22-23 kids each (maximum class size is 23; both K and 2nd grade will be rather smaller class sizes); the new school board budget eliminated the paraprofessional positions for 1st grade for next year, so there will be just 1 teacher for those kids. In K the paraprofessional is VERY important, even with a class, like Casper's, of only 16 kids, so I hope 6 years olds are a little more mature (and I hope we get a good teacher!). There are 4 first grade teachers now, so presumably they will be the same ones.

The rezoning is actually making the school less heavily minority. Out of 470 kids, 125 are white, 132 Hispanic of any race, 186 are black, and 27 other, mostly multi-racial. Currently the school is about 18% white; next year it will be 27% white. There's no info on socioeconomics (i.e. what percentage of kids qualify for free and reduced price lunches).

Also, our neighbor has been appointed the new principal of the school.

Casper asked, and received, the following hairstyle this morning: one ponytail held with pink bow at the top back of her head; two ponytails below that in the back held by orange ponytail holders; a red headband, with an orange necklace wrapped around it so the pumpkin pendant dangles by her right ear. She is a hoot.

shy Dillo

Wednesday night while I was at work mr. flea took the kids out to a ribs place. The woman taking the order talked up Dillo, and of course he was shy. mr. flea asked him what he felt like when people said hello to him like that, and Dillo's response was, "I want to get in the car and drive home," and also, "I want to go in the bathroom and peep [i.e. melt] down the drain." Poor little shy guy! mr. flea tried to tell him that people were friendly and a lot of people like children, and it's okay if someone says "hi" to say hi back.

Dillo's been a lot more interested in art the last month or so, as the drawings on the couch, walls, floor, and his wagon as well as actual paper attest. He really likes to draw circles and spirals (and can name spirals) - round and round and round. Also, he has a train made up of the five letters of his name, connected by magnets. Last weekend he arranged it so the front magnet connected to the end magnet and said, "Look, a pentagon!" *Pentagon!*

Still NO potty action yet. We need to get more forceful, and actually ACT on the M&M bribery, not just talk about it.

Tomorrow we are going camping in Alabama to see friends. As of tomorrow, my kids will have set foot in AL, GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, OH, and MA (add PA for Casper, and NJ if you count airport layovers). Southern children! Gotta get these kids to, like, Maine and New York City.