Ruby starts Kindergarten In 2 weeks

Two weeks today and my baby starts school, except she's not really my baby anymore but my big girl. We're nearing the end of 3 months of school holidays, yes you heard me right, we have 3 months of Summer holidays here and Ruby will finally be starting Kindergarten.

And luckily Ruby is very excited about starting school, so far she is taking everything in her stride, but we'll see on her first day how different it may be.

Ruby's Kindergarten teacher - Miss Scott came round for a home visit today to introduce herself to us and to meet Ruby. She gave me some information on starting Kindy and Ruby a blank piece of paper, Miss Scott asked Ruby to draw a self-portrait on it and bring it to class on her first day, so eager was Ruby, she did it there and then.

Ruby's Self Portrait

During the holidays, the School Ruby will be attending has been in touch to organize playground play dates prior to starting school. It's a chance for the kids (starting Kindergarten) & parents to meet to say hello and get familiar with one another at the school playground before school starts. I think it's a great idea.

We also get to attend a meet and greet at the school prior to them all starting too - so far so good I'm loving how they are getting us ready for Kindergarten. 

What I'm not liking though is the list of school supplies we need to provide for the year - here is the list for Kindergarten children but at least it is only once a year.

A change of clothes
2 packs of low odour fine point black dry erase markers
1 box of 24 Crayola Crayons
4 boxes of Crayola washable markers
3 packs of glue sticks
1 4oz bottle of Elmer's white glue
1 pack of colored pencils (sharpened)
2 packs of pencils (sharpened)
1 pack of multicultural colored pencils (sharpened)
1 box of any size Ziploc bags
1 bottle of pump soap for washing hands
1 bottle of pump hand sanitizer
3 large boxes of tissue
2 rolls of paper towels
Gym shoes to be kept at school

Ruby & most of her school supplies

Do you need to provide this much for your child before they returned to school?

It's certainly a lot bigger than my list of school supplies was......

We also have to have a child health examination done, performed by a pediatrician, plus eye & hearing tests done and that's before she starts school - luckily I have very robust kids neither one has had anything more serious than a cold and neither yet has had a course of antibiotic, although what I am told this will probably soon change.

And we waiting to hear if she'll get to ride the (iconic) yellow school bus to school as we live on the very edge of the school boundary/catchment area, quite a way from the school, but for now I will be taking her.

How naive was I - I thought you just sent them to school with a new backpack and set of pencils.