[NOTE: Mommy's writing this post, not me.]
All good things must come to an end. We've been beyond blessed to have never put William (or Madeline) into any type of daycare. There's no replacement for the love and care they receive daily from my mom (and dad). However, about a year ago we decided William needed some exposure to other kids his age, beyond a library visit or an occassional playgroup. He needed to learn structure of a classroom setting, needed to be exposed to organized rules, and needed playmates away from Mommy or Grannie.
I started looking at preschools in our area, hoping to find something that would be fun for him, somewhere he'd immediately feel safe and loved, and somewhere that he could learn a few things and prepare him for full-day PreK for this Fall. I talked to my life-long friend, Erin, who's son goes to St. Andrews, which she immediately recommended. Ironically, my other friend, also named Erin, teaches there, so I called her for details. She told me about their program, and immediately I felt like it would be a perfect fit! I hurried to complete the application, pay the application fee, etc. A 3-day a week, half-day program would be ideal! As luck would have it, all that they had an available spot for was a 5-day program. It was that or nothing, so we went for it. Eyes closed, feet first, a week before it started, we took the plunge. And have not looked back once. It's been amazing!
St. Andrews Preschool. It's a ministry of St. Andrew's United Methodist Church. It's pretty small - just a few classes and only about a dozen kids per class. As it turned out, he got Erin (our friend!) as his teacher! We were thrilled. Instantly, I knew I trusted the whole situation. It's been an incredibly amazing year. Never would I have guessed he'd grow so much, learn so much, and love it so much! He can count, and not just by one's... by fives, tens, hundreds! He can add and subtract. Small numbers, but nonetheless it's real math! (And if you know much, you know how much joy that brings me!) He can write not only his name, but his entire alphabet -- lowercase and uppercase! He knows all the letters, recognizes them, knows their sounds. Shapes and colors, he's mastered those. Including a rhombus and an octagon. Okay, I may have had something to do with the rhombus. I like that shape. And his spiritual and emotional growth has been incredible, too. He's forged amazing friendships with his classmates. He's such a compassionate, sweet, kind, gentle spirit. He's smart and quick to learn. He's amazed me this year, and I know he'll continue to amaze me!
And the staff. I can't say enough about how wonderful everyone at St. Andrews was! Ms. Melissa, his music and Spanish teacher..... Ms. Stacey, his gym teacher..... and Mrs. Shelley, the aid in his classroom.... Everyone was fantastic! Thanks to all of you!!
And of course, none of this could've happened had my mom not taken him to school everyday. I know the school wasn't close, but know that we appreciated you taking him and picking him up every day!
I've posted many many blogs this past year about parties, events, and programs we've attended at his school. You've seen a small glimpse of what he's done. But all good things do have to end. The week after William's "at school birthday" was his last week of preschool. It ended with a water day and end of the year party.
I wanted to do something special to thank Mrs. Erin for all the love she'd shown our kids throughout the year. Mom had a fantastic idea -- have each of the kids decorate a square of fabric, then make a quilt out of them all! So I contacted all the parents of the kids in the class (thank you Facebook!), even one who'd relocated back to California, and we got it done! How beautiful is this? Mom embroidered the top corner squares.
We wrapped it up and brought it to the party! The kids spent a couple hours playing outside on a water slide. Thank God for a beautiful day! They had such a great time!
Then we gave Erin her quilt. Everyone was in the classroom to see it. She loved it.
And then for a bit more fun! Mom made all the kids in his class t-shirts that said "Look Out PreK, Here I Come!" They all changed into them after water fun. How cute are they all!
They all love Mrs. Erin so much. Thanks, Erin, for loving our kids so much!!
He misses Evan so much! It's amazing how close two little kids can get over the course of a year. He's such a sweet boy, that Evan. Hopefully we can continue having playdates and keep in touch!
Erin, you are an amazing teacher! God definitely blessed you with a fantastic gift, and we're so lucky to have been touched by it. You've had a profound impact on William's life, even at such a young age. We love you and appreciate you for all you did this year! We are going to miss you next year! (Good thing you live right down our street!)
