The "Yay! It's Monday!" phrase is almost a cliche at The New School. It's been associated with The New School for longer than I have, and stories like mine below are the reason why.

Who hasn't heard of a child feigning illness in order to avoid school? Many of us might remember doing so as children ourselves, and most mothers have some pretty funny stories to tell about it. Well, in my family I've had a different sort of experience . . . My children have actually been known to feign wellness in order to avoid missing school! No kidding! I've compared notes with other NS parents and it turns out my little fakers aren't the only ones, either! It's a comical situation - just try to picture it: A child is covered with poison ivy or sneezing like crazy, yet he smiles valiantly, stands up tall, and puts on his best acting job to persuade Mom that he's really fine, not sick at all, he can TOTALLY manage! "And besides," he finally admits, "I've got this really cool project going!" Or perhaps that day it's a game he can't possibly miss . . . or a discussion that really requires his input . . . !

New School students just tend to LOVE being in school learning, playing and being themselves. To me, as a parent, that's the best kind of school experience that I can imagine facilitating for my children.