This September, the second of my three children started high school. During the first week of school, all the parents of freshman students attend an evening meeting. 
The first time we attended such a meeting, we learned that this was going to be more than just a lecture in the auditorium about how to navigate the upcoming four years of high school.
After the presentations by the principal, dean of discipline, and guidance counselors, we were invited to the school's art gallery for a reception. That's where the big surprise came in: the libations for the event, which included water, soda, wine and beer--not just any beer, not your average Budweiser, but Sam Adams, thankyouverymuch....whatever happened to coffee and sheet cake at these affairs? Obviously they think that plying the parents with alcohol will make us more willing to participate in the Magazine Sale.
Four years later, things have changed. I listened to the same presentations by the same individuals, this time with only half an ear, since I've already had one student successfully complete his high-school years there. I had people to sit with--parents who have sons in both my older kids' classes, and whose kids are good friends with mine. And after the presentations, we weren't offered any wine. For that matter, we weren't even offered cake and coffee. Instead, we moved on to small-group meetings so we could exchange cell-phone numbers with other parents who lived in our areas and arrange for after-sports carpools.
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