The Post in Which I Release My Jumbled Thoughts

Prepare yourselves for various and random thoughts, vents, rants, ideas... etc.

Right now I should be writing all about the boys' return to cheider... but I'm not. The reason is that we were looking to switch. I haven't mentioned it before because nothing was certain, but our current cheider didn't seem to be the right choice for Zusha. He wasn't thriving, so we looked further. In addition, they were going to be merging the kindergarten classes into one and the Rebbe that I wasn't so happy about was going to be their Rebbe.

We researched and found two good schools, but getting through to them was less than simple. The registrar kept changing her facts, forgetting who I was from one day to the next (or claiming to do so) neglecting to call back and not taking any calls from me. We got someone else involved, someone who knows the principal personally. They called and were told there is space! But that was the last we heard. Since then, no one called or answered any calls or messages.

This is where I'd imagine the family I asked to intervene should make an exit. They called the principal, and I appreciate it immensely. But now that they can't get through anymore, thanks for the help and let's move on, right?

But they kept calling and going on and on. Suggesting different schools I can try... (I researched them all! My point isn't just to switch, it's to switch to a place that will resolve the issues we had.) Trying to convince us to keep Zusha where he is, because who knows if another school will be any better... (I KNOW the school I chose will be better. And it's not an option to keep him where he is right now.) It didn't end there. This family got a third party involved. She called me and said that the situation is like this in general. Very hard to get into schools, even for people who move here... and especially someone who is just switching out of another school.

She suggested I go to the office and sit there all day until they allow me to see the principal, and I must do it right away, before school starts. That was the week when I had to take Adi to an appointment almost every day, and I told her so. I explained it's very important and I can't miss any of them (and wait a month or more for another) yet she persisted.
She even called the original family I asked to intervene and told her I need a babysitter this week. That lady, in turn, found a pre-seminary girl and asked her to babysit. She called me happily and announced she found a babysitter to take the kids (on the very day I was taking Adel into Manhattan to see specialists). And I was the one who had to make that extra phone call to cancel the babysitter. Lovely.

She is still calling, asking if I went, asking when I will go, making new suggestions. Needless to say, I am not taking or returning her phone calls.

There is a ray of light on the horizon, though. There is a new principal in Zusha's current cheider who seems to be cracking down on the disorder there. The Rebbe this year is also more attentive, listens and takes care of problems.

I thing I will consider sending Zusha for a trial period, to see if there really will be change. I just need to find an alternative for the school bus. Kids really bully there and don't listen to the monitor at all. I feel that eliminating the bus will eliminate 80% of the problems.

So no one is in cheider now. I don't know if or when they will go back. I don't know if I will have to home school this year. I don't know anything. We will take it one day at a time.