Education & School
Move-a-thon 2012
The Move-a-thon is our school’s end of the year fundraising event. Warren ran last year and finished with 25 laps. This year he set the goal of running 30 times around.
He was determined and took his goal seriously.
He ran most of the entire 30 minutes time, only walking a few laps and stopping twice for water.
With 1 minute left to go, he kicked it into high gear and finished the event with 31 laps, just as the count down ended.
He met and exceeded his goal. Way to go, Renny!
{Thanks to those who supported him financially in this fundraiser!}
Squish, Splatter, and Roll
Maddie loves to do art. She can sit for long periods of time and color, draw, cut paper… these are skills that saved us on recent trips on the plane and in the car.
Our community has several preschool age classes that are offered through the City College for a nominal fee. My friend, Gina, has been taking her daughter, Sacha, to this particular class for some time and invited us to join them. I knew Maddie would have a great time with all the paint, playdough, and other messy media I’m always hesitant to pull out at home so I signed her up.
She loves it! It’s so fun to see her move from project to project enjoying each task. And true to her independent self, she wants to do all of it on her own. And usually she can. She’s such a big girl now. When she sits down at those little tables on one of those little chairs to work on a project she just seems so grown up.
Here is her very first, official painting. I forgot to ask her what the blue mass is but you know art can be interpreted so many ways. I’ll let you speculate on its meaning.
The class structure is great because Teacher Bonnie, with loooooooooong strawberry blonde hair, sets up several stations inside but still gives the kids opportunities to venture outside to do finger painting in shaving cream or just climb out on the playground equipment. Maddie always prefers to mix a little playground work with her art work.
I love that she has something of her very own to do. She’s excited every Wednesday to tell Renny that she is going to her class. She gets to take a snack with her and everything. She’s hit the big time now.
Kindergarten hardly seems far away at this point. *Sigh*
First Grade
No tears this time from anyone (not that Warren ever shed any last year), just excitement as he walked into the door of his classroom.
He has the same teacher that he had for kindergarten, and many of the same friends in his class, so the transition seems to be quite easy.
Definitely the makings of a good school year.
The Last Day of Kindergarten
I can hardly believe it, but Warren is done with his first year of formal education. Kindergarten came and went in an instant, it seems. Every cliche about how quickly time passes comes to mind as I realize how the rest of his school career will go from this point forward.
We could not have asked for a better experience for him this year. We have adored his teacher, Sonia, and have felt that he was able to grow and flourish thanks to this amazing educator and the wonderful school environment.
...
As an example of her dedication, every child in the class was given a moment to shine as she presented each with a list of things that she appreciates about him or her. This Appreciation Circle was followed by a bountiful class potluck with friends we’ve come to love throughout the year.
To celebrate the end of a successful year and the beginning of freedom and summer vacation, we took the family to The Elephant Bar where we could dine outside by the airport.
...
By far, the view of airplanes departing, landing, and being refueled outweighed the thrill of the food, except for the hot fudge sundaes at the end of the meal. Love those recognition award gift certificates.
As expected, Warren was feeling a little down by the end of the day. His tender heart always takes awhile to process the changes that come his way. He has a hard time saying goodbye to the things he loves. It just means that he has enjoyed the experience to the fullest. He went to sleep that night saying how much he was going to miss Sonia, his friends, and Kindergarten.
Only 80 days until he becomes a 1st grader. Is there any way to slow this train down?
Fiber Arts Show
Warren’s school is deeply committed to the arts. Several of his class projects have included designing and creating pieces of art that are actually quite attractive. In fact, I mean to frame them and hang in them in our home.
During the year they have also learned about fiber arts. They recently made felted balls and finger knitted pieces to create a sunflower. All were put on display at our local library. It was his first contribution to an art show.
We took pictures of the displays. He was a proud artist indeed.
...
Once the art show was finished, the children took home their work. As soon as the items were placed in his hand he turned them into weapons. A felted “bomb” and a sunflower “shield” which he promptly used on his friend, Gio. Ah, boys.
...
Spring Chorus
...
Warren’s school is very much into the arts. It’s one of my favorite things about the education he’s receiving there.
For a whole month his kindergarten class practiced singing, “Do Re Mi” and “It’s a Small World,” to the accompaniment of the guitar. Then all classes, parents, and friends were invited to attend the performance put on by each grade.
Warren was prepared and knew the songs by heart. He wasn’t nervous at all to sing in front of the whole school. Hands in pockets and sweaty from running on the playground, he belted out the words with confidence.
All the choir performances were great. Especially since at least one child fell off the risers during each act. Priceless.
Move-a-thon
...
Warren’s school has an annual fundraising event: so many laps completed equals cash for the school. Not a Jog-a-thon, like some institutions, but a Move-a-thon because any movement (dancing, skipping, hoola hooping, etc.) around the track is considered an acceptable form of pledge fulfillment. They even get T-shirts. It’s a pretty big deal.
I was so proud of Warren. In 80 degree weather, he ran around the course the entire 30 minutes without complaining. He even smiled most of the time. He was bursting with excitement the night before, and through the morning of, and I think it carried him all the way through the event. He finished 25 laps– hands down the most he’s ever run.
I love his use of red bandana (periodically dipped in the ice bucket) and proper hand positioning throughout, both courtesy of Colin. And I love how sweaty he got. Boy, can that kid sweat.
Too bad all of the pledges he received were capped at $10 or he could of raked in some serious cash.
Birthday Circle
...
Warren’s kindergarten teacher has a very special way to celebrate when children have a birthday. The birthday child holds an inflatable earth ball and walks around a candle (representing the sun) for every year that he or she has been alive, simulating the same number of times that our planet has orbited the sun since his or her birth. Parents share a few quick facts about the child as he or she makes the journey around. When the “orbit” is complete, the birthday child makes a wish and blows out the candle, then hands out a treat of his choosing to all of the classmates.
The whole class also presents the birthday child with a banner that each kid contributes effort to coloring and cutting out.
Friday was Warren’s birthday circle. The day before he left the age of five forever. It was a touching reminder of how much he’s changed and grown over the last six years.
I adore this sweet boy. I’ve never wished to freeze him at a certain stage, but sometimes I wonder why it has to go so quickly.
Kindergarten Begins
How can I sum up a life changing experience such as today’s big event? Warren started kindergarten today and neither one of us will ever be the same.
He was both excited beyond belief and holding back sadness as reality settled in for him. A mixture I felt much the same.
Ready to go almost an hour before school started, he walked around the house with his new Lightning McQueen backpack asking when we were going to leave every five minutes or so.
...
Holding hands with him was about the only thing keeping me going down that long pathway to his classroom. His equal grip told me that maybe he still needed his mama just a little bit, too.
...
The moment of truth came. Would he willingly go in? He looked at the three of us in hesitation, remembered the box of Hot Wheels cars waiting inside the door, and entered with a smile.
...
The time came for us to leave our little boy. No tears from any of us, though I admit my eyes did glisten a little bit after seeing that he really was going to be alright there in the corner playing with his new classmates.
...
After dropping him off, I only cried for a moment when lunchtime came and it was just me and Maddie and no Warren chattering in the background. The combination of genuine pride and overwhelming emptiness is quite remarkable.
Turns out Warren had his moment, too. But he didn’t cry.
“Mom, I felt a little bit sad when I was playing with the cars, but then someone asked if he could play with me and I said yes,” he confided. “Then I felt better.”
It’s an emotional experience realizing you’re getting big. Big enough to be away from home on your own for half the day. And it’s just as poignant for the mom letting that kid go.
We celebrated the achievement with dinner out eating pepperoni pizza and store bought vanilla cake-flavored ice cream (who invents that??), Warren’s choice.
...
We officially have a school-aged child. One who is going to rock the kindergarten world!
RSS Feed