Off To School They Go

I know in my country, the Philippines, the school ended last April.  But here in the U.S., it'll end up in June.  We wanted to enroll them as early as possible (since we arrived in February), but there were other things to consider (especially the mode of transportation and we had less knowledge about the place).  Then, when we finally had a car, we immediately roamed around our vicinity to find and choose a school for them (with the help of a GPS device).  Then when we finally chose one, we found out it doesn't work that way... The school administrator told us the zone where we belonged to and what school should our kids go.  Furthermore, their school nurse told us that we had to comply first with their needed immunization before we can enroll our children.

Don't get me wrong, when we had the immunization taken cared of, we easily had our kids enrolled and started the next following school day.  And the best part was, we didn't spend a penny for it.  Yup, no tuition  fee!!!  Although, it's not totally free... We still had to provide for the necessities; basic things (like bag, notebook, pens and other stuffs) and packed meals or meal allowance.  Child transportation on the other hand can be free (through a school bus ride), but we are located within the range that the school consider near, so we can't avail it.

By the way, here is the list of school requirements upon enrollment:

• Documents to prove the child's age and identity (such as birth certificate or other reliable documents like Permanent Resident (PR) card, passport, baptismal certificate, social security card, etc.);
• Proof of residence (like your driver's license, utility bill, house mortgage or rent statement or any official document that show your name and address);
• Vaccination/ immunization records. The school did specify to us what immunizations were needed;
• Past school report cards;
• And fill out necessary registration and other child information forms.

With everything made easy and provided free by the U.S. government, I think there's no reason for anyone not to bring their child to school.  And if I'm not mistaken, it's against their law to deprive a child of their right to education. Yahweh bless.