School!

Next Tuesday, Hannah will start Kindergarten and Kyle will start 3-year-old Pre-K at Curlew Creek Elementary School.

Kyle will be attending the Pre-K through a special education program for children with disabilities. Shortly before his 3rd birthday, Kyle was evaluated by the FDLRS (Florida Diagnostic Learning Resources System) specialists to determine his eligibility/need for special services. It was determined from the evaluations that he needs language, physical and occupational therapies, which he will receive at the school. So he will attend for the normal Pre-K hours with a mixed group of children with and without special needs and will have therapy in the classroom as well as some one-on-one therapy. There is a full-time nurse at the school who will operate his feeding pump and be on hand for any medical issues that come up. This was a relief since I was told that they would have a nurse come in just for the feedings if there wasn't one already full-time at the school. I feel much better knowing there is a nurse on premesis the entire time he's there. It was also a relief to know that Hannah and Kyle could attend the same school. They had told me that he would be going to whichever school was closest and had the services he needed. It happened that the school Hannah was assigned to did have the services Kyle needs.

I'm nervous about the start of school. I'm not sure what to expect. For one thing, I never attended public school myself. I was homeschooled from Kindergarten through high school graduation. Now I'll be sending, not one, but two kids off to school. I just hope that I can manage getting them ready and to the school on time each day. I'm sure Audrey will get into 3 times as much to make up for their absence during the mornings.

I've already bought the supplies Hannah needs for Kindergarten but they don't have a set list for Pre-K so all I know is that I need to bring a bag with his feeding pump, pediasure, diapers (they will work with him on potty training at school and we will reinforce it at home), and an emergency change of clothes. Other than that, I have no clue. I don't have any idea what his schedule will be other than when to drop him off and pick him up. I know that he'll have 180 minutes of therapies each week but I don't know when. I don't know what time his lunch will be, or nap, or anything like that. Hopefully, I'll have some questions answered at the orientation on Monday.