Today, this special entry comes from me... the very proud mom of a beautiful little girl going off to school on her own for the very first time. Ever since we were first blessed to welcome Abby into our family, we knew this day would come, and although we may have been a bit nervous, we've been SO excited to watch her grow in this way. We are so blessed this year that Abby is attending a small, private "grandmother led" preschool program 2 mornings a week with some of her very good friends. It will be a wonderful transition for her into the school setting, and I must say, MUCH easier for mom to handle!
As she prepared herself to go off on her own, I did as well, and came across this beautiful poem about the roles of teacher and parent in a young child's life.
Unity
By Cleo V. Swarat
I dreamed I stood in a studio
And watched two sculptors there,
The clay they used was a young child’s mind
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher:
the tools she used were books and music and art;
One was a parent
With a guiding hand and gentle loving heart.
And when at last their work was done,
They were proud of what they had wrought.
For the things they had worked into the child
Could never be sold or bought!
And each agreed she would have failed
if she had worked alone.
For behind the parent stood the school,
and behind the teacher stood the home!
I pray that as Abby goes out into the "school world", she will be blessed with teachers and friends along the way who lift her up, teach her well, and that she will always know that her loving home is waiting for her at the end of each day. We love you Abby and are SO proud of you!
Love,
Mommy
She was so excited to pack up her new backpack the night before school, carefully picking out the “right” snack & wanting to know what her “options” were for a drink.
This morning was a beautifully crisp day… the perfect day to start school! Even Emily wanted to wear her backpack and join in the fun!
Upon arriving at school, Abby jumped right in with both feet (quite literally too, as her favorite activity was the trampoline…), and began loving it instantly! There were puzzles, magnetic dolls & games galore!
Even Emily showed off her puzzle solving abilities!
After each girl found their name card and proudly placed a sticker for their attendance, Grandma Worthing went over the rules of the classroom. Abby’s favorite was having to raise her hand to ask a question, and just HAD to try it out to see if it worked… It did, even though she had NO question in mind to ask when called on. That’s my girl!
The girls then learned the “Pledge of Allegiance”, were introduced to the US map, and one of them even successfully found New Jersey on it! These kids are going to learn a lot!
Their geography lesson was quickly followed by some language arts, where my brave little girl offered to stand up and belt out her ABC’s for everyone to hear all by herself. I knew at this moment, she would do just fine…
There was so much more to be seen on her first day, including art projects, snack time, nature walks and more, but my little one told me it was time to leave… So with a deep breath, I left her to learn, and on the way out the door, I passed by her chair and that’s when the single tear fell… A tear of happiness because I knew she was in such wonderful hands, and I can’t wait to see what this year holds for her!
After picking her up a VERY long 3 hours later, I couldn’t wait to hear how her day was and what she had learned… That excitement was quickly squashed by a simple, “It was fine mom, but I didn’t learn anything.” WHAT????? I expected A LITTLE more enthusiasm, but I suppose that will come in time. This poem was a great reminder for me on what is REALLY going through a little one’s mind!:
When children come home at the end of the day,
The question they're asked as they scurry to play
is, "Tell me what you did today?"
And the answer they give makes you sigh with dismay.
"Nothing, I did nothing today!"
Perhaps nothing means that I played with blocks,
Or counted to ten, or sorted some rocks.
Maybe I painted a picture of red and blue
Or heard a story of a mouse that flew.
Maybe I watched the gerbils eat today,
Or went outside on the swings to play.
Maybe today was the very first time
That my scissors followed a very straight line
Maybe I lead a song from beginning to end,
Or played with a special brand new friend.
When you're in pre-school
And your heart has wings,
"Nothing" can mean so many things!!
I know for a fact many of the things she learned, and a few gentle reminders spurred a wonderful discussion of her special first day. The were games, puzzles, maps, connect the dot art projects, practice time with cutting straight lines, songs about the 3 things they learn from calendars, nature walks to find caterpillars which will soon turn into butterflies, and a memorable tea party for one of her classmates 4th birthday! I consider this a successful first day, for both Abby AND mom, and I am looking forward to the year ahead! Way to go Abby! We’re so proud of you!
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