Nearing the End of Round 1....

Hello May!  Nice to see you!  

We are wrapping up our school year in typical fashion.  With a level of scheduling craziness for which I have zero explanation.  

We're just hanging on for dear life.  Trying to make it through each day one packed lunch at a time.

Last week, we had Kindergarten Round Up at Aubrey Kate's new school.  She'll be attending the elementary school in our neighborhood.  We'll walk to school every day!  That feels so Norman Rockwell to me.  I suspect the reality will be the exact opposite of that but I'm gonna enjoy my dreams until then.

Aubrey Kate has had an amazing year in kindergarten this year.  Without a doubt, private, half-day was the right choice for her.  She has just blossomed.  Her teachers tell us she is kind, hard-working, a good listener and always follows directions.  She hasn't quite gotten the hang of reading but they tell me that's a developmental milestone.  One day, it will simply click with her and she'll be reading.  

If she were to start first grade, she would likely be somewhere towards the back of the academic pack.  But they believe she could and probably would catch up quickly and think she would be fine to move on to first.

That's what her teachers see.

What I see has more to do with her personality.  

She does not love doing "all the work" at school.  She misses crafts for the joy of crafts instead of being told she has to make a blue bird.  "But blue is NOT my favorite color.  Why can't I make a pink bird?"  She does not like doing the homework.  Largely because reading and writing are still a struggle for her.  It feels like a have-to-do-task instead of a get-to-do-fun-project with Mom.  There have been tears shed and declarations made.  And truthfully, she's got too many years of school to already dislike it that much.

Of course, there's also the introverted, highly-sensitve part of her personality too.  The part that fears new places and people and hides behind her lovie, Rosy, and cries with anxiety.  She's been at her current school since she was two.  It's incredibly familiar and everyone knows her there.  This new school will be much larger, complete with a big cafeteria for lunch and new teachers on new hallways in new rooms.  Every new year, even in a very familiar place, brings a fresh batch of anxiety for her.  I have no reason to suspect this will change all of the sudden.

Her teachers said they don't see any of that from her.  I'm grateful.  I'd rather be the one dealing with her crying because she hasn't gotten any free center time than her complaining to her teachers about it.  They see her working hard to improve her handwriting and learning her sight words.  I get the tears and frustrations when she has to rewrite her name for the fourth time and she gets her "2" backwards.  

If she were reading and writing in some sort of advanced manner, the introverted, highly-sensitive issues would be less of a concern.  But she's not.  And since I know she's crazy smart and the reading and writing will come, the personality issues are my primary focus.

Kindergarten Round Up confirmed that for me.  

She spoke to zero people.  She never answered a direct question.  She hid behind Rosy.  And my legs.  

However, when we walked through the kindergarten rooms and we talked about the stations and how she had those in her room now, I watched her open up.  "Oh yeah!  We have a calendar!"  "Hey, we have a cubby too!"  

Her teacher asked me at our last conference what my momma gut was telling me.  And truly, my heart tells me she needs another year.  Not for the academics.  That'll come.  But for the time to adjust to the new environment, larger class and more responsibility.  My momma gut says she'll be adjusted completely by Christmas.  That's been her usual pattern so I see no reason for that to change.  But while she's getting socially adjusted, she'll be getting a refresher of this year instead of missing out on learning new information.  

I'm excited to see her continue to grow next year!  When reading clicks for her, she's gonna get lost in it.  Her imagination is amazing.  Reading is going to thrill and enthrall her.  Her left-handed hand writing will improve too.  She'll figure it out.  I've suggested and shown her a zillion times how to turn the paper to make it easier for her to see what she's writing.  One day, she'll believe me.  Although, likely she'll think it was her idea.  Which is fine.  You and I will know the truth.

I cannot wait for her to begin this new journey!  At the big kids' school!