Cool Mom

57: Orientation

Hazel is dressed in a floral print dress and a pair of white converse, with her hair pinned back from her face as she has breakfast. Daniel left early in the morning to get some work done so that he can meet us for the orientation at Rushmore Academy.

I sip my coffee as I think back to last night's events. I gave Daniel a final yes and we tried for the first time. I know it's futile to hope for it to happen so soon but I'm hopeful nonetheless.

"I'm done." Hazel announces, pulling me away from my thoughts.

I look her at plate and see that she has finished her buttered toast and now she's gulping down the rest of apple juice. Ten minutes later, we're in the car, driven by a driver heading to the school. It's a twenty five minute drive from our house.

The open house is scheduled to run from noon to three in the afternoon and we arrive at exactly 12 o'clock which is why the parking is almost empty except for a few other cars.

I walk into the front office to get a visitor's card as I'm instructed to at the gates.

"Good afternoon!" The lady at the front desk smiles at us as we walk up to her.

"Good afternoon. I'm here for the preschool orientation." I tell her.

"Can I please have the student's name and grade she'll be attending?" She asks.

"Hazel Aaron and she'll be attending kindergarten." I reply as I watch Hazel look around.

"I have her right here!" The lady tells me and a moment later hands me a card with Hazel's name and picture from her application form. "I hope you enjoy the visit."

"Thank you." I say before leading Hazel back outside.

I read the card as we walk towards the main school buildings and see that we can meet Hazel's allocated class teacher today.

"Hazel, do you want to meet your teacher?" I ask her.

Her face goes from excited to nervous, all of a sudden. I sense her worry at meeting her teacher and I kneel down in front of her so that we're at the same level.

"Do you want to?" I ask her. She nods in reply but says nothing.

"How about we meet your teacher and then go look at the swimming pool?" I suggest.

This brings back some of her enthusiasm, "Okay."

I kiss her on the head before straightening up and taking her hand. We make our way to the buildings allocated to preschool classrooms. I find the right classroom and knock on the already open door.

A woman appears in the doorway, probably in her mid-thirties.

"Hello!" She welcomes us and asks us to come in.

Hazel clutches my hand as we walk into the classroom that she will spend the next year in.

"My name is Miss Hannah." She holds out her hand to Hazel who shyly shakes it, "What's yours?"

"Hazel." She replies, a small smile on her face, clearly liking her teacher.

"Hi. I'm Emma Aaron. This is my daughter." I introduce myself and we shake hands.

"It's a delight for me to have Hazel in my class. I've already been over all my students' files and I'm glad to see that Hazel had the opportunity to interact with other children through playdates."

I nod at that, "Hazel really enjoyed her playdates but hopefully, she'll learn to enjoy school as well."

"I'm sure she will." Miss Hannah reassures me.