Amid the bustle of this incredibly busy and exciting first week, I had a minute or two to gather some glimpses of what families are thinking and feeling about our community. So many of our children are new to S-K, and their excitement is palpable. Comments like "My child came home the first day and taught me what he'd learned in french, he's just soaking it up!" and "I have been amazed at the many conversations I've had with my child's teachers--already! How amazing it is that I can reach out to them with questions or just to check in." Other parents told me about the excitement their children felt about school. One student woke up at 6am every day dazzled with excitement about what lay ahead while another sighed "Isn't school WONDERFUL?" as she rested in the evening with her brother. Time and again, I heard parents say that this school feels meant for their child in all the right ways.
For students new and old, this is a tremendous time of discovery. Reading Renata's blog gives me chills when I think of the diversity of things students in her classroom took to explore last week.Walking through the lunchroom and seeing Ruth's diagrams of geometric patters found in North African art demonstrates the synergy in learning here. It's not just math or art or writing or science, each in their own separate silos. It is the weaving of learning across all of these disciplines, the warp and woof of a student's learning and the creativity and joy of discovery. (I suggest subscribing to all of the blogs, even if it's not your child's classroom--it's so exciting to see what everyone is doing!)
Leaving the picnic in the park today, I was struck by the faces I love seeing and the many friendships we have forged over the past year. But, I have a confession to make. When we were considering where to send David to school, I was anxious about not choosing our neighborhood school. "Will he still have friends in the neighborhood? Will he miss being able to walk to school every day? How will it be with him having friends all over?"...all of these thoughts would work their way into my mind on a daily basis. I was most worried that he would have to choose between a community at school and another in our neighborhood. Today as I watched my little guy race down the soccer field with teammates from our neighborhood team and then, not much later, defend "Water World" with buddies from school, I realized that my concerns were for naught as he truly has the best of both and, for that, we feel incredibly lucky.
So, thank you, again, for being part of this community of ours, special as it can be. Here's to an auspicious start to a really fabulous year!
Fran
I had those very same feelings about not using the public local school near our house. Walking to school is such a cool experience. Yet I feel this school is so incredible and our daughter has made incredible strides at SK. She was really struggling at the charter school we choose for Kindergarten. They tried really hard but she was getting her negative behaviors reinforced and positive behaviors ignored. Just too many kids, not enough time. SK gives her the attention she needs when she needs it. I learn something every week from the teachers including last week when Joanna stopped me from teaching Emma a lesson the "wrong" way, oops! Great post!
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