Required Documentation for a Shelby County School

Magan took Sam to his new school for registration the other day. We had found out about registration only the previous day, so we were a little unprepared.

We were told that we needed a birth certificate, which is usually something parents try to hold onto for their children. And seeing that Magan has her original birth certificate from 1980, and I have mine from 1979 (Both of ours are on some strange yellow paper, perhaps some type of papyrus, that has somehow lasted this long without any degradation), this should not have been a problem for us to keep up with Sam’s from 2005, but we can not find it anywhere at the house. Magan looked everywhere, and there are very few places that we would keep such important papers. But alas, we can not find them, what’s next?

We were told that we needed his Social Security Card. Now that one was easy, we have always tried to keep that one with the birth certificates…so again we have a problem, and can not find it, what’s next?

We were told that we needed two of the last utilities bills that showed that we did live in the area. SERIOUSLY, who keeps their bills after you pay them…and since I keep hearing of people that do…WHY??? Why are we the only people that throw away bills after they are no longer needed. So…yes, again we do not have what is needed, so Magan took Sam to the school for registration.

After describing our lack of documentation that Sam is a US Citizen, and our lack of documentation that he is school age, and our lack of documentation that we even live in this area…Magan gets a look that lets her know that we are apparently the most scatterbrained parents that she has seen today from the registration person. But I guess after seeing that Sam did speak English and look American, and that he appeared to be school age, and that we apparently had driven a small distance to be at this school for registration, they allowed Sam to get some initial tests and prompted us to bring in the paperwork when we had it.

So in the aftermath of this less exciting registration day for Magan, I am attempting to get this documentation. The birth certificate was no problem, just a quick $40 and two days later…wala…in the mail. The social security card had Magan downtown in a not-so-great area with three children looking at a wait time of 3 hours. So we opted to do the mail in option…so I am currently without a driver’s license until the paperwork is completed and information is sent back to us…hopefully with a SSC for Sam. And we are also waiting for the bills which I will not throw away…at least this month.

And some random pictures Magan wanted to throw in...