It's MEETING Time!!!

School has officially begun. Now, let the meetings begin!!! I had the first meeting today - for one of my volunteer positions. I am the ...drum roll, please...Head Homeroom Coordinator Chair...Wow...what a bad title. Ha! Don calls me the "Head Mom". I don't know if public schools use a similar system but basically a Homeroom Parent gets chosen for each classroom - there are approximately 2 classes for each grade with the exception of kindergarten (3 classes) & preschool (3 classes each for the 3 y/o program & the 4 y/o program). Then there is a team of Homeroom Coordinators - each Coordinator oversees 6 Homeroom Parents. Then there is me - I oversee the 4 Coordinators plus I got an Assistant! The school office liaison and/or the Development Office liaison give me requests and I channel them to my Coordinator team and so on, and so on. Trickle down theory I guess! Last year I was one of the Coordinators but they asked me to be the Chair this year.

But it was a good meeting - it was with the new Coordinators (we have 3 that have never been a Coordinator & 1 returning from last last as well as my Assistant, who has never been a Coordinator). So I got to meet some new ladies and we had breakfast with the Principal & the Development Director & the Admin. Asst for the school who will be one of my liaisons. It was one of those official "thank you for all you do and we appreciate you" kind of breakfasts but it set a good tone. I was REALLY happy with the ladies that were chosen for the new Coordinator positions. 2 of them I did not know at all but I am really excited. They all have a strong sense of fairness, being discrete, professionalism in dealing with people. Part of our role is to set a tone that is positive, enthusiastic & encouraging to keep parents wanting to be involved and these ladies are going to be EXCELLENT at that!

But the whole meeting I had a blasting headache plus I had Patrick with me. I said a little prayer last night that he be cooperative during the meeting. I have to say - as wild as he can be at home - "typical 2 y/o" stuff...he pulls it together when it is show time! We were at the meeting for nearly 2 hours and he was wonderful. Played with his magnets, had a snack, great behavior, patient. Who IS this child and how come I can't get that behavior at home??? Ha! He has been that way at every meeting since I have been volunteering the past few years - he has the principal & Director of Development fooled into thinking he's this little angelic creature! Ha!

Tomorrow I have another meeting - but shorter - it is the Volunteer Meeting and I just have to stand up and talk about our Homeroom Coordinator roles & invite those interested in being Homeroom Parents to come to "our" meeting the following Friday. Then I have to stand up and talk about my "other" volunteer role - starting up a volunteer childcare coop twice a month to enable school parents to volunteer in the school & have their 1-3 y/o's watched on school grounds during that time. Wish me luck!