How was back-to-school night?

Last week, my husband and I attended Alice's back-to-school night at Jose Ortega. This was the first time that I had stepped into the classroom since the open house over the summer. It was fun to see the paper lanterns the kids had made for the Chinese Moon Festival and the plants they were growing in cups. I sat at Alice's tiny desk and opened her pencil box. I met the parents of the other kids who sit at her table. It felt good to get a glimpse into her kindergarten life.

Alice's teacher went over the curriculum for the year, which was quite overwhelming. The students will be learning 70 Chinese characters; every Wednesday they receive a homework packet. They're supposed to spend five to 10 minutes on homework a night. This seems like a lot for a kindergartner but if you're going to learn Mandarin you have to start early. Alice's teacher is bright and focused but more importantly she's funny. She says that she tries to make the kids laugh (she certainly had all the adults giggling) so they'll have fun learning.

I know that many parents attended back-to-school night last week. Please share your experiences.