It also happens to be how I would describe Lauren's school.
Case in point:
2nd Grade Shabbaton:
Back in January (or was it February?), the school hosted its first Shabbaton for the second graders. What is it, you ask (I thought the same exact thing)? The new school rabbi brought this tradition from his prior school. It is a 24-hour event held on campus only for second graders that celebrates Shabbat and incorporates games and learning all into a lively atmosphere. An email went out late last year asking for some parent volunteers to chaperone (several for the girls and several for the boys). It sounded like fun and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to spend a memorable occasion with Lauren, who was eager to attend, especially if I was going to stay overnight with her. And with plenty of other parent volunteers there, how difficult could it be?
Yea, right.
It started on Friday afternoon during check-in at 4:00 p.m. As we were getting our sleeping bags and overnight stuff out of the car, Lauren slammed her finger in the car door. Hard. Ouchie. Luckily, the school security guard, Shalom (yes, I know), was there and immediately stopped the bleeding (which my dear child does not tolerate well) and bandaged her up in the nurse's office.
Moving on.
All of the kids and chaperones would be spending the night in classrooms, segregated of course.
[Note: if I had a dollar for every time I had to shoo away boys and girls for blatantly trying to catch a peek into the opposite gender's classroom, I'd easily have enough to cover the deep tissue massage which was desperately needed after the experience….]
The kids arrived (14 girls and 16 boys) and proceeded to set up their sleeping pads and bags in the designated classrooms. I helped in the girls' room to ensure appropriate placement so nobody felt left out.
It was after everyone had checked in and the program was ready to begin that it hit me.
I was the only volunteer mom who showed up.
Yes, that's right. The rabbi's wife was there, but she and the rabbi were sleeping separately in a classroom by themselves. There were 3 fathers there to take care of the boys, but I would be the only mother staying overnight in the classroom with all those girls.
Don't ask how it happened. I didn't really want to know. At that time, I still thought it wouldn't be so bad. After all, even 7 and 8-year-old girls would go to sleep by 10 p.m., right? After all, Lauren has rarely made it past that hour without totally passing out.
And they all looked so very sweet and cooperative.
So we started the program, full of singing, skits (by some 8-graders who also were there to help - but were of course sleeping in their own room), dinner and a pajama contest.
[I wish I could have taken more photos, but technically after sundown on Friday night, I was not supposed to be using any electronics, so even snapping the few cellphone pics I got were bending the rules]
So, how our night go?
Well, I survived. Yes, I did. That's the good news. The unfortunate news is that I failed to get even a wink of sleep. Those second grade girls are tenacious, I tell you. Because we were not allowed to use any lights and the bathrooms were located outside the building where the classrooms were located, every time a girl had to use the restroom, of course I had to accompany her. And naturally, all 14 girls (like me) apparently have a bladder the size of a pea. Which needed to be emptied at a different hour throughout the night. So between 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., I was escorting sweet, sleepy little angels back and forth, back and forth, trying to keep them from talking out loud (and from trying to peer into the window of the boys' room on the way back).
Add to that merriment the poor girl who had a persistent cough that kept waking everyone up throughout the night, which ultimately resulted in me bringing her to the rabbi's room at 3:30 a.m. for him and his wife to deal with her (hey, I had no choice!), not to mention all of us being jolted awake at 6:00 a.m. when the automatic timer for the lights in the school snapped on and lit up the classroom like a Christmas tree (hmm, probably not the best analogy here), and I don't think I have ever been more relieved to make it through a night.
One glance at the classroom clock after everyone was up and about and I only had a single thought on my mind - only 12 more hours to go. Maintaining my sense of humor, of course.
The carnage in the morning:
The nighttime experience aside, the program was actually wonderful, and the children had a blast. The rabbi and his wife are amazing, so patient with the kids and so encouraging. Saturday had them doing a scavenger hunt, Torah reading, making up plays and acting them out, and bonding with all their classmates.
And since the tradition is now firmly ensconced at the school only for second graders, I can reflect on the good memories that Lauren and I took away from the experience, and rest easy in the knowledge that I never. ever. ever. have to do it again.
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Kabbalat Shabbat:
The entire second grade was brought together again a couple of weeks ago to lead Kabbalat Shabbat, the school's Friday morning celebration.
On a beautiful day, it was held outside in the courtyard, and the seniors participated with the 40-plus second graders.
The school's cantor, Avi, had been out sick for a few weeks, so his return and charismatic energy completely lit up the assembly and had everyone clapping and singing along with the kids. It really was an especially joyous morning.
Avi:
Dr. Davis, the new head of school (who also was the vice-principal and my cheerleading director in high school more than 30 years ago!!), also raised the roof with his unbelievable energy.
The only way to describe the enthusiasm of these two? Contagious.
So with those two events, in addition to lots of communication from Lauren's teachers this year, I'm feeling pretty comfortable with where she is and what she's learning. Enough so that we've registered her for third grade. Which will absolutely be here before we know it.
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