JK info meeting for parents - let the anxiety begin!

Last night, Mr. C and I went to the JK (junior kindergarten) information meeting at the school Big Sis will go to. I have very conflicted feelings about JK, and I did my best to stay open-minded (i.e. not stomp in, sit down and cross my arms in an "oh, yeah? prove to me this is a good idea!" sort of way). I succeeded (for most of the meeting). However, I felt like it was the first day of grade seven all over again!

The giggly, sort of nervous, "look at us, this is so exciting" fluttering around as people came in, saying hello, surreptitiously looking around the room for others you might recognize, picking where to sit, and then waiting for the teacher to start talking!
There were some parents there who already seemed to know each other, and stuck together accordingly, chatting away about school shopping lists, early bus times and the like. There were those who came alone, and a few who brought their children. Some were there for the SK french immersion information, some were parents who already had older children in the school and so already knew the teachers and principal, and some were like us, totally new to it all.

I felt like the jostling, positioning, politicking and competition were already starting! There was the "popular" group, the parents who were already joking, laughing and comfortable. The over-achieving mom, who asked questions about whether her child would be behind in grade one since our school isn't going to have "full day learning" next year (! seriously?! behind by grade one?!). There were questions about what "pre-learning" we as parents should be doing with our children before they start. I wanted to say, "our children are THREE! this is insane!"
There was the mom who said, "I'm not going to lie, I've been waiting for this!" when given the list of what our children need to bring to school in the fall. Apparently trundling off to Zeller's with her child is happening in the near future (if she hasn't done it already!). I don't even know if I agree with junior kindergarten, and this woman has already been dreaming about school supplies for her child??

And thus, the anxieties start to rush in. I spent the first portion of the evening trying to convince myself that "I don't need these moms to be my friends. I have friends. This is not about whether or not they will like me! This is an info night about Big Sis starting school. What if they don't like me? Why do they all seem to know each other already? What am I doing wrong??" See how quickly that spiraled out of control?

Then, I started feeling stressed about her "placement" (e.g. will she be in a morning or afternoon class, a straight JK or a JK/SK split, with the teacher I've already met or with the other one who is recovering from surgery and so not at the meeting...). And clearly I'm not the only one, because while we're doing the classroom tour, parent after parent approaches the teacher with, "how likely is it that we get our requested placement?" The standard answer is that the preferences are taken in the order in which they are given, so, those who registered earlier in the process are more likely to get their first choice. To which "school supply mom", who is the third or fourth to ask, replies, "oh, no, I was here as soon as you opened on the first day. I was probably knocking on the door before you even unlocked it!" hahaha, laughy-giggly-i'm-so-silly, "so that means I'll totally get what I asked, right?"
And although I know it's not a competition, and it is not about the parents, it still feels like somehow I need to be more charming, more competent, more pro-active, more enthusiastic, in order to prove that I'm a good mom! Like, look at me! I'm taking my daughter school supply shopping too! Yes, I've started phonix pre-reading with her! She knows all her sounds! And can tie her own shoes! And always remembers to say please and thank you!
And frankly, we are just not there yet. And I don't want to be!

So I might just have to chill out and decide that I really don't need to make friends out of all those other parents, and that it really is about Big Sis having fun and meeting people and learning all kinds of things, and that I don't have to play all the games that may go along with having a child in elementary school.
And if anyone can tell me how to do that, I will buy you your very own school supplies...