Buby + Bleu: School Days

Two Fridays ago Buby graduated from preschool and said goodbye to an old stone schoolhouse to which we've all grown attached. He was used to the routine, the teachers, all the good friends he made. Neither of us was ready to switch things up. Quite yet.

And then the board of trustees announced, after 27 years, it would be closing the school. We were reimbursed for deposits paid toward next year and made other arrangements for kindergarten. Life goes on. But I can't help reflect on the past two years.

Buby's school was a small, nonsectarian, not-for-profit, private elementary school with a huge emphasis on learning through doing. It was an unofficial mix of Waldorf, Montessori and Reggio Emilia learning philosophies. The pre-k and elementary programs were extremely rich in art and music {two things our public schools here lack}, life skills, and a natural whole-child approach to academics. The teachers were as FUN as they were challenging, and at the end of the day our wee ones gained a personal confidence and love of learning that they'll hopefully keep with them forever.

Either way, the school won me over and that says a lot. I visited dozens of others over the course of a year, and it wasn't until I sat down with all of those teachers at all of those schools that I realized just how many opinions I had about early education. The process was eye opening, intriguing, disheartening. I was surprised to find that no two schools were alike, and so many didn't feel right for our family. Some days I wished I didn't care so much. I wished I didn't know so much. But I did. So I kept searching. I'm a big believer in positive first experiences.

Small and large, public and private, Catholic and Christian, Waldorf, Montessori, nature-based and strictly academic. I visited them all until I found one that fit. Of course I saw some great things happening, but I also witnessed overcrowding, inappropriate discipline, chaos, boredom, frustration, pure socialization and nothing else, low standards, uninspired environments. I met teachers who couldn't even answer my husband's basic question about goals for the year. Four year olds were spending a whole month on concepts Buby had mastered at two and a half. I saw an overall underestimation of our children's intellectual curiosity and ability to learn. I met some parents who didn't care either way. They just wanted their kids out of the house. Cheaply and easily, no questions asked.

I never intended to be so choosy. I had a busy toddler, a hectic freelance career, baby Bleu on the way, and a perfectly "fine" preschool right next door that all of our neighbors used way back when. But I became more annoyed and more curious with each scheduled tour and certainly wasn't going to settle out of convenience. That was never my style.

Our decision came down to two very different schools, both I felt a good match. One was 20 minutes away and went up to 2nd grade and the other 40 and went up to 3rd. Everything else equal, I chose the shorter commute. The school exuded warmth, creativity, happiness. I thought it would suit Buby just fine for two, three or more years. And he flourished in every sense. I looked forward to Bleu's experience as well. Not that I agreed with every decision the principal made, but I stayed involved and wholeheartedly supported the school's mission. It's hard to find a good education these days. So hard. And this was one of the best, in my opinion.

Here are a few shots from Buby's last day as a preschooler. It was cute watching him hand out gifts and say his farewells. Kids handle sudden change so much better than us adults, don't they? He wakes up and asks, "Mommy, Is it a school day or a free day? When will I start my new school?" He's pumped for next year, and I'm getting there. The little dude loves school, and My Sweets and I hope to keep that going for as long as possible.