First Week of Kindergarten Wrap Up

Well, Sophie got through it.  We had ice cream today after  supper to celebrate her finishing her first week.  It wasn't easy, but I'm sure it will get better.  Here's a recap:

• Monday--came home in her spare outfit.  She apparently got soaked drinking/playing in the water fountain, came back, got her other shirt out of her backpack, went back to the bathroom and changed--all without telling her teacher.  Also cut up her (cheap plastic) necklace with scissors and threw it away.
• Tuesday--got a "Yellow" for eating playdoh and not staying in her seat.
• Wednesday--told me she ate playdoh and crayons and sucked on a marker.
• Thursday--better.  Kept her chewy necklace on all day.  Plus her class got to go to the library and hear a story, but she told me she didn't listen, she read a book instead that she found on a table.
• Friday--another Yellow.  Ate playdoh and crayons and "was licking everything all day".

At home, too, she one night took the pillowcase and zippered cover off her pillow and started pulling feathers out of it and chewing on them.  I'm sure she's under a lot of stress.  

We expected some teething pains, so this wasn't a surprise to us.  Her poor teacher, on the other hand, kept saying she hoped Sophie wouldn't get sick, which I'm sure she's not the first kid to eat school supplies.  We were just hoping that she wasn't being too disruptive to the class.  It was one thing at her preschool where there were 12 or 14 students with a teacher and an aide, but another thing when the teacher now has 22 and is all by herself.

But her teacher has a great attitude and is willing to do whatever it takes for her.  I had a little mini-conference with her Wednesday after school and we talked about some ideas.  She loves Sophie already and said that her class last year was really difficult and this year she has a great group.  She doesn't consider Sophie to be a problem, just wants to help her.  Also, after eating all her supplies, Sophie's other biggest thing is to not finish her activity and go off to the reading corner.  Which, while not being on task, is not the worst problem in the world for a teacher to have, I'm sure.  

After a week or two Sophie should start to adjust.  There was one night this week at bedtime when she cried and said she wished she could go back to daycare with Peter.  :~(  We were sad about this, but actually a little glad because this is a normal reaction.  

Plus next week at school she starts getting some services from the district special ed program.  She will have speech therapy at school and an aide who comes in and works with her and 2 other kids from the neighboring classrooms for 30 mins a day during one of their afternoon lessons.  So that should help get her through the after-lunch period when I'm sure she's getting hungry and restless.