9.18.2009

Time for School!


This was the end of the first full week of preschool! Just a little over a week ago, J. finished up her time at daycare, with some sadness about saying goodbye, and, with some anxiety about change, she started the phase-in to her new school.

Her new school is a local, small, Montessori preschool. I ended up choosing this school because I got a good feeling about it when I came to observe, their schedule and location worked for us, and the bits I had learned about Montessori teaching appealed to me.

The weeks leading up to this transition were a bit rocky, and, frankly, these past two weeks have been less than smooth. For all of us, figuring out a new schedule has been challenging, and transition always means more tantrums and trouble just doing the normal, every day things. M. has been worried that he will not have enough time for his work, and I've been fretting about this, that, and the other.

But, despite the difficulty of something new, I'm thrilled we've made this choice. J. is already blossoming. She's displaying new skills and insights daily. I swear, there is this wisdom that she's exhibiting that wasn't there before. I'm not sure how 6 days of preschool could make some of these changes so fast, but I'm really seeing some neat stuff. Also, we've been learning more about Montessori methods, both through reading materials sent home and through hearing about J.'s days, and I'm really delighted that I happened upon it. It really suits her style of learning--she's one to get absorbed in a task and follow it through for a good length of time. She also LOVES carefully completing household tasks. It is a really good fit.

I have always loved fall and the excitement of the beginning of school. But, for quite a few years now, I haven't really been involved in a school-starting ritual. Now, I'm delighting anew. This new perspective and the excitement of my beloved little girl exploring and learning in new ways is just intoxicating!