She's growing up

Tonight Taylor and I went to a focus program (International Baccalaureate, sports academies) night at the junior high she wants to go to. 2 weeks ago we went to another local junior high and she was not at all impressed by it. I'm not sure why, I think she is just so focused on the other school she didn't consider any other options. I was sort of glad, because to me this school was just too big. I like small.

She will be attending my former junior high. It is amazing what 21 years can do to a school. When I finished Grade 9 the school was heading into "bad reputation" territory. It was really bad about 10 years ago, and even in the news due to a knife related crime. 5 years ago they brought in the IB program and then the sports academies and the school seems to have turned around.

There was IB at my high school, which of course I never did. Bad grades, you know? The middle years programme is a bit different in that you don't need to have a certain average to get in. They have to maintain a 70% in all their core subjects, which shouldn't be an issue for Taylor as long as she doesn't get too lazy. What I like about IB is that they are required to do 20 hours of community service per school year, as well as complete a personal project. She has to take French and music, both subjects that she would choose to do in a regular program. That leaves her with 3 other options to do, one per term. I have said she should take 30 minute meals so that she can make us dinner but for some reason she isn't so keen on that. Drama, Art and Appetizers and Snacks are I think what she wants to take. We will see.

Because her current school is a feeder school for this junior high, they will be going and spending the morning on Thursday. They will meet the teachers, visit classes and have lunch. She is desperately hoping that her friend Ashley will change her mind and decide not to go to a different junior high. She is very nervous about not having friends in her class. I have to keep reminding her that she has to be that girl that turns around and says hello to the kid behind her. (Number 12 on my youyou.) Haven't seen her in years, but I will forever remember her turning around and saying hello and how fucking very grateful I was. I told Taylor the story of that girl and how we remained friends through junior high, that even though we went to different high schools we stayed friends, were friends when she stalked some guy from the university radio station and friends when she ended up in a psychiatric hospital after said radio guy rejected her and she sliced her arms up, friends while she lost 100 pounds and I gained it (a slight over exaggeration) and friends through pregnancies, crappy boyfriends and unhappy marriages. I said it's amazing what can happen when you turn around and say hello.

She said "I'm shy." So not true.

She will be fine. She will.

Me? I'm not so sure. I don't think I'm going to enjoy being the mother of a junior high student.

And just a thought for you all...by the time Sophie finishes Grade 12 I will have been the mother of school aged children for 27 years. If I'm not dead by then.