New shoes, new socks, trying on clothes and not particularly loving it; ah the joys of going back to school.  But my little one said she was “nervous and excited” to be returning to her Montessori school where she will be in the same classroom she had last year.  She will already have some friends she knows from her first year.  This is her second.  Her school has three “grades” in each class:  primary students in their first year, second year (Pre-K) and third year (kindergarten).  I only attended private school for kindergarten and first grade and we had no uniforms.  I LOVE that she gets to wear them and frankly I am glad to see some public schools adopting the practice as well.  I got made fun of in junior high mercilessly by a rich girl for wearing the same clothes a lot.  (If she only knew I’d gotten them at the Goodwill.)  At the risk of sounding somewhat socialist — which I most definitely am not — uniforms bring a sense of communal equity and also a feeling of being on the same proverbial team.  I think they are wonderful.  From a mother’s point of view there is no battle over what to wear each day and it puts the focus where it belongs — on learning.  I know my little one is proud of her school and loves her plaid.  The wee bit of Scots-Irish in me is proud she has her own plaid as well.  American author Tom Bodett said:

“The difference between school and life?  In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test.  In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

She has so much to learn.  But for today, I am just glad she had a “great” first day of Pre-K.