Say it isn't so....Kindergarten begins!

It is official, we have two kiddos in school and the oldest is most proud Kindergartner you will ever meet! Just ask him, he is SO proud to have made it to Kindergarten and another fantastic year of learning has begun!
Leading up to the first day of school we had Orientation where we went and met the teacher, dropped off all of his supplies and got his little section and cubby organized for his first day of school. We also got mail from the teacher and even some magic stardust to put under his pillow to help him sleep ever so sound on his first night of sleep before school....

The first day of school was fabulous. I wasn't quite as full of tears as I had expected that morning. We woke up, got Dylan dressed in his solid pants and solid shirt, as he has to be in full dress code this year. It wasn't until we walked into school and the first comments I got were, 'OH MY GOODNESS, Look at you Dylan, you look SOOOO handsome in your uniform!!!' Yep, the tears started rolling down my cheeks! I knew he looked so grown up and of course more handsome than I had pictured in my head, and hearing it from the mouths of others, that solidified in my head that our little 1 pound 5 ounce preemie is now ....growing up! It was such a wonderful realization in my mind that all we can do as parents is to hold on and enjoy the ride we are on, after all, it has just begun!

 

 He was just as ready for the second day as he was for the first. He jumps out of bed on a daily basis and is very ready to do his morning duties to get ready and out the door for another day of learning! He loves school SO much and we love it to. He is at the most perfect place for him, every single day we get updates from the teacher or a handwritten note home, or even a homework project for us to help Dylan with, it solidifies in our mind that we have made a super great choice in a school for Dylan.

I love picking him up each night and having him review his day to me on our car ride home. We ask the same questions every night and if we forget one question he reminds us of what we forgot to ask! So far it has been unanimous that his most favorite subjects are Gym class and Art class! He makes me smile! And if the day is busy and their classroom rest time gets cut short, as it sometimes does, well then he tells me he is extra sleepy tonight! He now has lunch time in the cafeteria and each morning he asks me what is for lunch. I feel that his eating horizons have finally expanded even more so the first few weeks of school and he hasn't even taken the alternate yet!!! HA! I love each evening hearing about his day in his own words, he always has so much to say.

 

Parents had a mandatory parent meeting the other night and I was struck a bit by the 'mandatory' part. Once I arrived I knew exactly why and I was very glad I was there to soak it all in, after -all we, as parents, are learning right along with our child. Learning how to help him learn even more so he can have the continuity of learning at home as well as school.
They spoke of the A-B-C's of the school year and what the children will learn and activities they will do. They said to expect less pencil/paper things home as the children will be doing more hands-on learning with technology this year. In Kindergarten....and so it begins!

What's in your backpack?

It's empty today.

Where's your work?

Did you just play?

When I built with blocks

I learned about shapes.

I balanced and shared-

Our skyscraper was great.

I played in the windy house

and talked with my friends.

I rocked a baby

and played pretend.

In science I observed,

Guesses, and investigated too.

The same things grown up

Scientists do.

Art was messy.

I created and explored.

I solved my own problem

When I spilled glue on the floor.

My fingers got a work out

With puzzles and clay.

Those same muscles

Will help me write one day.

I counted and sorted

and measured, too.

I used my brain

Like a math whiz would do.

Out on the playground

I ran like the wind

I learned to take turns

And help a hurt friend.

Story time is what

I always like best

I can use my imagination

And give my body a rest!

I sang and danced and

Read a poem, too.

I answered questions

And said 'Please' and 'Thank you'.

There will be time

For worksheets and tests

But talking and playing

Is how I learn best!

I love to go to school!

I'm glad that I am me!

An empty backpack means

I'm still learning, you see!

The teachers started to explain the year to us by this poem, my heart melted immediately. I am so excited for all of the fun things Dylan will learn this year! Each week he will have a sharing day, his will be Wednesday. But not sharing a toy, rather this sharing day is different. A sheet of paper will be sent home each week and will be his 'homework' to complete. The sheet will be completed by him with help from us parents, and he will draw an illustration on the paper based on the details of his sharing. He will then share this in front of the class every Wednesday, this will teach the children how to speak in front of their peers and also how to begin respect for each other by listening to each other. I LOVE this! We completed his first paper last week and he was so excited to share, this week we are excited to complete his next sharing day paper!

Each new journey our children begin starts off hard for us parents, so much unexpected and almost an overwhelming feeling of excitement and a little bit of fear for them. But I can say that after the first day, the jitters were gone, and now my heart is filled with an excitement and proudness that only a parent can know! We are so proud of you Dylan and cannot wait for all of the learning you have already begun so you can dazzle us with your courage, strength and amazing will to do what is asked of you and even more. After all our 3 words that we say together are that we will always remember to be, Smart, Strong and Brave! ~