St. Pauli girl ... I understand what you're saying. Also at our school (K-1), K is when the fun performances are done by the kids, they have parties for holidays and the parents can attend etc. In 1st grade, for many of the teachers, parents aren't allowed in the classroom. They cut the cord. I found attending parties and such allowed conversation w/ the other parents, you got to see the work posted all around the room that kids were doing, you got insight into classroom management etc. A friend whose DS's teacher didn't allow parents in, was actually in the classroom only 2x in the entire year for PT conference. In fact, the school is in lockdown until November, meaning parents are not allowed at school and it is STRONGLY, HIGHLY discouraged to drive your kid to school - they want all kids to ride the bus. So K time is really the only time to get to know other parents that have kids your child's age.
