The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) was less of a hassle than this….(Part one)

Three years ago I had my entrance into the public school system as a parent. I had to register Lauren for kindergarten, which I assumed to be a relative simple process. Well I knew what school she would be attending and assumed that registration would be sometime in the spring. I kept checking the school's web site for information regarding registration. NOTHING. I thought that to be odd, after all it was 2006 and the date and time of kindergarten registration seemed like information that would be relevant to users of the elementary school’s web site. Of interesting note, they had information on the website about the documents necessary for kindergarten registration, but NOTHING about the date and time.

I asked one of my friends who also had a child Lauren’s age, as well as a child attending the school if she knew anything about registration and she told me that the school had sent a flyer home with her son indicating that registration was at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 21, 2006. Great, I now had the information about when and where to register for kindergarten, Lauren got her final series of shots, I gathered the appropriate documents and was armed and ready to enter the parenting world of public school.

As I pulled into the parking lot on the designated date of April 21, 2006 I noticed it was oddly vacant of cars, but I assumed perhaps mothers were running late, after all this is Utah County and we run on Mormon Standard Time. I approached the office and informed the secretary, who appeared to be shutting off her computer and closing down shop for the day, that I was there for kindergarten registration. She looked at me with distain and informed me kindergarten registration was at 2:00 p.m. in the media center. I told her that I was unaware and a friend had told me the school sent a note home with the parents of current students indicating registration was at 4:00 p.m. Of course she again told me it was incorrect. I told her that I had been trying to obtain information on kindergarten registration without success. I told her of my efforts to seek information from the school's website, which was devoid of information pertaining to kindergarten registration and to me that seemed like a logical place to list such information. I received a blank stare and was told the information was on the school’s reader board. I informed her I have don’t have children that go to this school, so I would have no cause to be viewing the reader board. (Of note the reader board is on the school its self and the only way to read the reader board is if you are driving into the school for business.) Next she informed me that it was published in the Daily Herald. I informed her I subscribe to the Deseret News, because the quality of the publication of the Daily Herald is akin to a high school news paper. Finally she said the information was on the school district’s web site. I replied to her that I knew my child was going to this school so it was illogical for me to looking on the school district website for information that should have been published on the school’s website, I mean after all this is 2006 we are talking about???!!!

Begrudgingly she provided me the forms for registration and instructed me she was getting ready to leave for the day and I should quickly complete the forms. I have to add, that while I was discussing the finer points of kindergarten registration with her, my friend who told me registration was at 4:00 p.m. showed up, and could hardly contain her laughter at my argument with the school secretary. Apparently the school secretary was uninformed of my profession, and just so you know, its most unwise to argue with an individual who makes his or her living arguing, unless of course you are in the same profession. I quickly completed my forms, only to be told Lauren’s acceptance to kindergarten was conditional because she was lacking one shot, which due to recent shots she had just had, could not obtain for several months. After swearing on my daughter’s life that I would obtain the necessary shot in the fall, Lauren was granted conditional acceptance to kindergarten. Of course I was also told that my request for morning kindergarten could be rejected because I did not appear at the proper time for kindergarten registration.

And rest assured in the fall the school sent me a nasty note around the middle of October informing me that unless I provided proof that Lauren had obtained her shot by November 1, 2006, Lauren could be subject to removal from kindergarten, I mean after all we would not want healthy, smart children who are one shot short, infecting an entire class of kindergarten children….We obtained the shot. Lauren stayed in school.

Then there is Mark…..(to be continued)