First Week of School

The weekend before school started, Simon and I got a phone call from the principal of Valley School. She said that, although we had discussed sending Frederick there extensively with the teacher Frederick would have, enrolled him, paid the tuition and filled out all the emergency/medical/shot record information on him sometime in June, the teacher was suddenly feeling "blindsided" by the decision. After much hemming and hawing (and more phone calls than one would think possible on a holiday weekend), we were told that his "specials" (the teachers of the elective classes such as art, French, music and so on) were not told anything and "weren't sure" they wanted him in their class--"was he," they worried, "prone to outbursts?" Would he violently assault the other children? So, here we are, going to school on the first day, wondering if it would be Frederick's last day. And, if so, where the hell was he going to go to school for the rest of the year? (Perhaps a "Where the Wild Things Are" t-shirt wasn't the savviest choice, but he did dress himself and we don't overrule his choices in those matters.)
Down, down, down...
Well, he's got a cubby. Does that mean he's welcome or not?
Emily showed up seconds after we got there and Frederick was very happy. She stayed with him and helped him manage the new rooms, rules and way of doing things. At 10, the teacher told Emily that "Frederick's parents" wanted Frederick to leave, but Emily simply replied that, no, Frederick would stay at least until lunch. And they did. He got long wonderfully with all his "specials" teachers and, despite whatever misgivings his teacher had, he seems to have won her over. On Friday, when Simon dropped Frederick off, she announced that "it was decided"--Frederick gets to stay the whole day! Hmm.