A new routine

Sam has had three days of preschool thus far and I've noticed this new ritual they are asking the three-year-olds to do. Last year we picked up the twos on the playground, but the threes have show and tell and then are dismissed from their classroom. They sit them in chairs on the rug and they are to be dismissed by name when their parent walks into the room.
So, it's pretty weird to walk into a three-year-old's classroom and see nothing but quiet children sitting in chairs, looking expectantly at you. It's like a scene from Children of the Corn.
So Monday, as the routine became more obvious because they kids were used to it now and actually obeying, it was disturbing to walk in first and see them all looking at me. Then Sam lept up at the site of his mother, which gave me a sick sense of satisfaction - MY son's mother was first to come get him, making Sam the envy of all his classmates. And then there was the sad look of disappointment when they all realized it wasn't their mother.
So now I'm torn between always being first so Sam can be cool, or waiting so the other kids won't be disappointed every time its not their mother.
How weird is this parenting thing, anyway?