DAB, thats how it is for me too! I have a bunch of friends from college, but my closest girls are the ones who have seen me through it all-starting from elementary school. =)

I can remember that my 1st grade teacher always had coffee breath. ((Yuck))

My youngest started first grade also this year. It's just amazing. He learned reading, writing, and basic computer skills last year in Kindergarten!! This year the learn to comprehend their reading. He's starting on math now also.

Rman - does your daughter tie her own shoes yet? My son has not quite got there.

AND are you letting her 'online' yet? I've been letting E go to the Disney site to play Wizard's of Waverly Place games. It's crazy to watch these little kids maneuver the mouse like they do...

Funny you mention, I was engaged in dialog yesterday about just that. Fast forward to high school though. There are few fond memories that lie for me there. I am sure this is not what you wanted to hear though.

More pointed to your topic, they will learn things, we learned in 2nd or 3rd grade, and soon they will eclipse any knowledge we had during those years. My son taunts me about quadratic equasions. My only response is... "bite me".

My daughter's going into 2nd grade this year.

Kindergarten focus's on starting to read. And first grade starts focusing on math.

The kids will be expected to go to Centers (stations around the classroom) at Center time. She may or may not be paired up with a group of kids she likes. (Usually a little bit of both.)

Most schools have a behavior chart, where kids move pins or something down it, if they misbehave. And then lose time off of recess or get a call to their parents.

Some kids will Never get in trouble. Some will live in the pricipals office. Hitting/pushing, and not doing your work are the two big offenses.

The boys get into trouble the most, but the girls can get downright nasty to each other. I was pretty shocked over how they can pick on a girl who wears hand-me-downs, or has less than other girls. It's sad, but yes, it starts in first grade.

Another thing I've noticed, is that most kids come out of first grade with a real attitude. There are days I'd like to just walk away and leave her. I think it's the kids getting used to talking to each other unsupervised (the teachers stand to the side at recess, and don't intervene as much), and trying to get away with the same language with us.

Finally, most schools give out homework 3-4 days a week.

First grade is Nothing like when I went to school, but most kids survive it. LOL.

Remember, they start asking a lot of kids, but almost no kid will be able to do everything asked of them. (For ex: One kid I knew, almost never remembered to turn in his homework. He did it, but just never got it turned in. Talk to your child's teacher about any concerns, they've almost certainly seen it many times before.

@GoColts: For some reason, people put their Thomas the Train and Geotrax train sets on Youtube and do little stories about them.

My son can watch that for awhile and not get bored. Bizarre.

Tetherball! Awesome! I remember that!

Do kids even know what that is?

In first grade, she will have to interact with her classroom teacher as well as art, music, and physical education teachers. The school day will become longer. She will eat at school and go to and from school with limited assistance. She'll also have some homework assignments.

Read at least 100 sight words.

Locate the main idea and details in stories.

Recall the sequence of events in oral and written stories.

Print words legibly.

Write words legibly in manuscript form.

Capitalize the first word in a sentence and use the period and question mark at the end of a sentence.

Recognize the singular and plural forms of nouns.

Count to 100 by one's, two's, five's, and ten's.

Write the numerals to 100.

Add and subtract numbers up to and from 10.

Use simple maps and globes.

Just to name a few!!!! She has alot to learn!!!! Congrats on 1st grade!!!!

I had amazing teachers who were brave enough to come to South Central to teach. They impressed me so much I went back to work there when I graduated high school.

Mr. Rice - who taught us to dance with his scratchy record - You Send Me

Ms. Lee - who tried to get my book published (I was 7!!!)

Mr. McNaughton - who taught us all about Japan, including how to speak Japanese and made us do Samurai projects (which was a blessing as my brother was wounded in Vietnam and spent a year in Okinawa recovering-it helped to console my devastated mother by showing her where her near-death son was and the people who were taking care of him).

Mr. Hayward - Robert Redford's twin brother.........YUM

Ms. Penelope - who taught us that we were ALL equal, and anyone being mean to us because of our race or gender would have to answer to HER!

The teacher (sorry forgot name) - who drove me and my mom all the way to Children's Hospital when I dislocated my finger.

Is weapons training part of teacher cert in South Central?

DB - this was the 60's. It was still rainbows, flower power and free love.

LOL! Understood.

I remember coming to the US and started third grade here. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND ANYONE...it was frightening. Since academically, I was advanced (geography, math...etc.), I just sat and stared into space. My homework was to watch Sesame Street, Electric Company and Zoom...in order to learn English. My teacher's name was Ms. Butch. I will never forget that violent immersion to school in a foreign country. I even beat up a little boy because this little Cuban girl would translate for me and she told me that this little boy named Daryl, called me a bitch. I beat the crap out of him. Next year, I was enrolled in an all girls school...pfffft...

lol Z!!!! I that made me laugh

and now Z is here beating the crap out of males who piss her off!!!

YOU GO GIRL!!!

*sends Z her own list*