End-of-Year Concert

6.8.11



I tried several times to upload video, but Blogger just wouldn't have it. You'll have to settle for a snapshot of Buby {in blue} and his friends just before the concert began.

Teacher Gifts

The class moms collected money for a group gift, but in addition Buby decided to paint something for each of his teachers. He went out to the yard after dinner one night with acrylic paint, brushes and two blank 8x10 canvases.


I love the result. He told me the rainbow for Mrs. I represents one of his fave songs she taught him this year. Plus, he wishes rainbows on everyone he really admires in this world. He says the abstract for Mrs. Q was inspired by all the art she showed him, particularly the Jackson Pollock project from last week.


Behind each canvas he penned a heartfelt note about the important things in life. You know... like snack time. I wrote my own card to Mrs. I telling her I'm pretty sure she has left an imprint on Buby's heart. All the best teachers do.

Kindergarten Year

Yesterday we celebrated Buby's last day of Kindergarten, of commuting, of spending every weekday with teachers and friends. We have a fantastic summer planned. The five and six year olds in Buby's class are all moving on next Fall, a few to the Lower Elementary building down the hill and the rest to schools in their own towns.


I kept looking to the sky for some grand finale firework or balloon launch or other remarkable sight to signify the end of this nine and a half month adventure we've been on. Ha! To me Friday was the culmination of a very long year of incredible growth and transition. To Buby it was just another good day. He got up, got dressed, brushed his teeth, ran down for his yogurt and bread, and loaded into the car for school.







Our educational goals for our children revolve around creating lifelong learners. We want them to go in, soak up the knowledge like sponges, and come out liking school at the end of the day. Not once did our boy tell us he didn't want to go, so that equaled success.


I dubbed this our "year abroad." It certainly felt like it with all of the driving we did {which I'll detail in another post}. We knew going in that it would be one year. ONE YEAR. Buby's old preschool/kindergarten closed last minute, and his elementary school {a lovely Montessori that relocated right across the street from our house} had not reopened as of decision time last summer. We were looking at one year of limbo, so we decided to give Buby a wonderful intro to the Montessori method at a school we'd liked for a long time, albeit far from home. And by chance he ended up with his best friend Grace. Hip hip!







In Kindergarten amazing things happened. It's like Buby took all the groundwork we've been laying over the past five years and just ran with it. You might say the cards were stacked going in... {new school, new friends, first year in this type of classroom, first encounter with a relentless class bully}... but he conquered all with the help of two creative teachers who took the time with each and every student. This year Buby thrived on all fronts. He worked hard and played hard and left us in awe.


Here's my takeaway from our second and final parent/teacher conference: Buby is a pleasure to have in class. He's a model student and good friend to all. He loves mathematics and quickly finished his work on fractions and dynamic addition in the hundreds. He enjoys Spanish, science, geography and history comprehension.


He takes pride in labor intensive detail projects such as push pinning. He has completed two years worth of material/workbooks in a single year. He started Kindergarten a non-reader with great pre-reading skills and finished the year an avid, fluent reader. He LOVES to read and be read to, to write and spell, to memorize facts through song.

In September Buby struggled with his pencil grip and controlled letter formation but worked diligently for months and in June won the class Penmanship Award. He learns well independently and in small groups. He has an easy time grasping complex concepts. He knows how to lead other children in an activity and stand up for himself when need be. He shows maturity, patience and empathy toward with his fellow mates.







In addition to his daily work in Mathematics {number sentences/place value/addition/subtraction/units/tens/hundreds/thousands/fractions/counting by}, Language Arts {reading/writing/complicated letter blends/grammar/parts of speech}, Sensorial and Practical Life, Buby has enjoyed some in-depth on each of the following:








The United States of America {including the use of maps, monuments, important symbols and people}; the human body {skeleton, vital organs, 5 senses, major muscle groups}; Albert Einstein; weather systems; Marc Chagall; marine life; the construction of volcanoes; the study of fish {including what they have in common and labeling the parts of a fish}; Egypt; Africa; Australia; George Seurat; Laura Numeroff; Irish music; cultural-themed artwork; insects; Martin Luther King; water in its three forms; mammals; the solar system; the people and culture on each of the seven continents.


Experimentation with ice crystals; African music and art; holidays around the world; the moon; winter solstice; Tchaikovsky; stories by Jan Brett; Native Americans; veterans; calendars; telling time three ways; plants and the root system; tadpoles; finches; pilgrims; planting bulbs outside; studying seeds developing into plants; the value of each coin; counting money; Beethoven; Jackson Pollock; Margaret Wise Brown; Picasso; Matisse; harvest season; The Magic Treehouse series.



The volcano eruption was a highlight for Buby, in addition to any talk about nutrition and taking care of our planet. Also, he came home pumped after every time another parent visited to discuss their careers as authors, dietitians, orthopedic surgeons, etc.

I must say this particular learning path suits Buby so well. It's not for every family, but it is a natural fit for ours. We will stick with it as long as we can afford our littles the opportunity and they are thriving. If and when Montessori no longer works for one of our children {1st?, 3rd?, 5th?, 8th grade?}, we will transition them out. For now we are just enjoying the ride and looking forward to Bleu starting in September.


This summer we will camp, vacation, read, paint, craft and encourage Buby to journal. I picked up a neat wide-rule composition notebook at Target with white space at the top of each page for an accompanying illustration. Next Fall Buby will continue his studies where he left off, at a schoolhouse so close to home that I can see their front door from mine. It's a wonderful thing.




P.S. Read about Montessori here, find a q&a here, a video excerpt from "Nurturing the Love of Learning" here, an article in the WSJ here, and one comparative study here.


All images from Montessori Outlet.

For the Love of Pasta

Here's another creative use of pasta. Buby made this chart during his study of life cycles. So cute how he tried to spell on his own. Caterpillar is "caterpllier."

Snakes, Etc.

As further proof that we live in the country, a snake slithered its way into Buby's classroom today, presumably through an open window. I'm told the teacher screamed and then calmly moved the children to another classroom until "someone who knows a lot about snakes" could safely return it to the wild. Some of the children thought the building was on fire, Buby said. Immediately he switched up his plans for show + tell on Friday. He will bring his copy of The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash.


At home we are having our own drama with an extremely vocal tree frog... possibly the same one I told you about two years ago. It chirps outside our bedroom window and is keeping our whole street up at night.


I was about to take out the garbage last night when I flicked on the back light and saw my screen door covered with probably 400 of the nastiest flying bugs you've ever seen. NO WAY I was opening that door. We were under attack. I put the tied garbage bag back in the can and ran upstairs to bed. Living in the country is better in daylight :)


Ticks are in season. The teachers keep pulling them off the children after recess, and we are reminded daily to run tick checks at home after showers/before bedtime. I hate ticks.


Image of knit snake from Ouef.

Buby's Earth

Let's live together on this earth
In peace and harmony
Let's share the abundance of the earth
And treat it lovingly!

From the forest to the sea
To the clouds up high
We promise to protect our earth
Land, water, sky!

Numbers

Math is one of Buby's favorite "challenging work" categories at school. He's adding and subtracting and carrying ones no prob. This week he started fractions. On car trips he counts aloud from 1-1,000 just for fun. And then again by 5s, and again by 10s. It's ridiculous and certainly not a trait he inherited from my side. Numbers intimidate me.

"Germs" by Buby

Read clockwise from top left.

The Human Body

Buby is studying the human body. I find this simple drawing he did to be so beautiful. I think I will frame it.

The Rain Forest

Before beginning their study of the rain forest one of Buby's teachers asked all of the children in the class to draw what they imagine a rain forest to be. At pickup the teacher expressed to me how delighted she was with Buby's detailed description.

Scribble Scrabble

Buby calls it "scribble scrabble." He does it throughout the day on whatever paper scraps, napkins, junk mail he can find. Some days he runs into my car at 2:15 shouting, "Look what I made for you, Mommy!" It's never the project he did at school... it's the doodle he did between projects. Even on a torn corner of recycled paper he takes great pride.


I've learned to ask WHAT the picture is. Never assume. He names them all.


This one is named "A cat chasing a family of ants."

Best Birthday Gift

12.21.10



That's my boy in the back row with his Santa hat on. The "West" classroom performed a little concert for the families this year, and it happened to fall on my birthday. What a gift to see Buby and his schoolmates all together and singing their hearts out. Buby even had two solo reading parts {about Thanksgiving and Christmas}.


For some reason me and video cameras don't mix, so I can't give you a sample. This time my memory card was {unexpectedly} full, so I spent the concert taping/deleting/taping/deleting. I got bits and pieces for My Sweets to see, but most of it was out of focus. Maybe in the Spring I'll get it right.

Blast-Off

While I cook meals Buby and Bleu color or craft at the kitchen table. Often Buby will flip through his sight words and then read Bleu his latest phonics book. He loves to read to her. Oliver watches me from his chair.


Last night while I was preparing our dinner of steak, vegetables, vine tomatoes and mozzarella Buby drew a picture of twin rocket ships. {Ever since he and My Sweets launched that rocket into the woods he's obsessed with all things that can fly.} I noticed he was using fluorescent dot stickers to fancy them up. Awesome!


Then he asked me if he could have an empty water bottle from the recycle closet. I said, "Help yourself." Seconds later I glanced over and saw him cutting the bottom off the bottle with his school scissors. He said he was making a REAL rocket ship to match his picture. But he looked deflated, like he suddenly realized he didn't know how to do it.


I quick trimmed a piece of red construction paper {quick because I was also nursing the baby standing up} and showed him how to fill the inside with color. His face lit up and he went right to town with those bright dots again. When it was time for bed Buby handed me the picture and the rocket and asked if I would make the wings so that he could bring it to Show + Tell. Show + Tell is a big dealio every Friday at school, and it became obvious that Buby's impromptu rocket ship was trumping Daddy's special coin from Hong Kong.


After 2/3 of the kids were sleeping our friends Sara and Daymien snuck over for a bit. They were up from the city. We sat around chatting and drinking wine {them, not me}, sharing travel adventures and digital pics... securing paper wings and flames to my five year old's rocket ship. Of course.


Show + Tell was a success. And as soon as Buby jumped into my car at pick-up time he said, "Don't worry Mom... I told everyone you helped." Ha!

Open House

A tiny fraction of Buby's classroom. It's big and bright and wraps around a circular building.



Today was a L-O-N-G day, but it ended on a high note. I had the pleasure of attending Open House at Buby's new school. I cannot express enough how genuinely impressed I am with his teachers this year. {And if you know me, you know I'm not easily wooed in these matters.} Of course I've always been into this school's philosophies and traditions--that's why we're sending him there. But now I totally get why Buby loves it in his own right.


The teachers have such a beautiful grasp of each child's unique abilities and interests. Already. We're only a few weeks into the year, and I am amazed at how gracefully they seem to have eased the children into their routines and lesson plans. I have so much respect for what they do in a day.


Buby seems drawn to the materials, inspired by the real-world responsibilities and rewarded well in self esteem. He demonstrates that to me from the time I pick him up until he whispers his last "Goodnight, Mommy." He works independently, one-on-one with the teacher, in small groups and in large teams. He has made friends. Lots of new friends. As a mom these little things make my heart sing.


Honestly, I'm sort of envious that he gets to explore the world of reading and writing, mathematics, geography, botany, history and art in the way that he does. I loved school growing up, too, but it was different for me. The Montessori methods so suit Buby's personality and individual learning style. Mathematics, writing and practical life skills are huge, and this place's approach to teaching them genius {in my opinion}. Our boy is like a big sponge soaking it all up, and at days end he can't wait to show me the "Challenging Work Assignments" he's completed.


In addition to his regular studies, he will have Spanish once a week, phys ed. twice, and every month dig deep into a different author, composer and artist. It seems he comes home from kindergarten every day with a new song in his head--about planets, counting, etc. So far we are 12 for 12. I hope to keep that going as long as possible. Our Buby has a certain love of learning, and it's a wonderful thing to watch it blossom.

2010 Bookmark

I started this tradition when our little bookworm entered his second year of preschool. Every year on the eve of his first day I present Buby with a handmade bookmark. It's simple, always with his name or initial on one side and the year on the other.


We got into chapter books last fall, so the bookmarks are pretty useful already. Plus, I love the idea of Buby heading off to college with a sentimental stash of 14. One for each year of schooling. He keeps them in or on his bedside table and reaches for them when need be. I figure I can't sew or knit or crochet for my wee ones like their grandma {oh how I wish I could sew}, but I can do the bookmarks. That can be my thing.


This summer Buby and I were together 24/7, so I had to wait until his first day of school to run to the craft store without him. I chose a very thin rectangular piece of wood and asked My Sweets to drill a teeny hole in it for me. {He's used to these late-night requests.} Then I paired a yellow star with a red apple on one side and stickers of his three favorite dinosaur species on the other. Between his book bag and lunch box, this feels like the year of the dinosaur.

The Kindergartner {Week 1}

I couldn't have imagined a better start to the school year. Thursday and Friday were half days designed to ease students into their routines. I see now why that approach is GENIUS. In the past four school days our house transitioned so nicely from summer to fall.


On day 1 Buby walked into his new school at 8:40 a.m. Happy as a clam. In fact, I think I had to say "Wait up" at least once. Not an ounce of hesitation. At 2:20 p.m. he walked back out with that same confident grin. He was glowing, actually. Buby says he loves his two teachers, his bright classroom and his many new friends. During pickup that first afternoon Mrs. Q. approached me to offer, "He was a pleasure! Really." Pickup isn't the best time to get chatty with teachers, I am told, so I took it and ran.


Day 2 went just as well. Mrs. Q. pulled me aside again to say, "Ugh. Such a dream. Gavin is SUCH a DREAM to have in class!" I'd suspected another good day, but it's always nice to get confirmation. She added, "He already has bonded with a special friend named Max."


Oh yes. I heard about Max and Ari, Ava and Julia all the way home those first two days. Buby is obsessed with spelling their names. And then there's Grace. His Grace. Yesterday afternoon we stopped at the library to return 9 books, and I overheard him telling the librarian all about Grace being in the same class this year. He referred to her as Grace "who I've been friends with since we were babies, ya know." He is so proud of that fact.


At the end of each day Buby gave me a rundown of his favorite parts. He told me how he familiarized himself with the Montessori tools, used a work mat, set a butterfly free, painted a house, experimented with blocks on a scale, traced his full name in lowercase, learned several words in Spanish that he already knew, sang a song, and listened to Mrs. I tell an adventurous tale.


Yesterday was day 3 and the first full day of kindergarten. It's also when we parents started using the infamous circle for drop-off and pickup. No more parking down the hill and walking our babies to the door. There is a specific procedure for coming and going, and it doesn't allow for any dilly dally. Picture a massive single-file line of cars all with their engines running. I think I was more nervous about messing up the hand-off than about Buby's long day.


By 2 p.m. I missed my boy like crazy. I could not wait to get in line for my Buby hug. I secretly hoped he'd tell me everything about his class, friends and work the second he climbed into the car seat. Of course I knew from experience that details might have to trickle out over the next 24 hours.


Buby immediately pulled out of his bag a picture he drew and a caption he traced for his own story. It illustrated a mushroom and five ghosts on a slide. Five year olds have the best imaginations. He was eager to show me all of his work from the day, so I found a parking lot and gave him my full attention. He talked about running through the wooden playhouses on the property, sitting across from a new kid named Gus {who he swears is a 'she'}, and arriving at the snack table to discover that a silly girl had taken one bite out of every watermelon slice and put it back. That grossed him out.


It doesn't matter what my child learns in a day... these are the things he wants to chat about first. Food and recess. Also in his Communications Folder I found a black + white picture he'd cut into many puzzle pieces and glued back together.


Today was Buby's second full day of kindergarten. At pickup Mrs. I. walked him to my car and paid the best compliment. Maybe ever. She grabbed me and said, "Gavin is a REALLY good student. Already. And he is such a sweet friend to the other children... always offering to help them. You have done a very good job with him." My first thought was relief that things are going well and that he has teachers who truly appreciate him. My second was, "Wonder what she'd say about our Bleu." Heehee.


Buby got in the car and thanked me for his yummy lunch, which included a peanut butter sandwich, four slices of cheddar, raw carrots and green peppers, and red grapes for dessert. He told me of a wonderful nature hike during recess. Apparently they walked down to a lake and a butterfly garden and watched "real frogs" on lily pads. That is so Buby. I peeked in his folder and saw that he practiced writing my cell phone number and our home address, among other things. At dinner he started singing a new song a la Mrs. I. He seems content.


I believe {for my Buby at least} that a productive day at school is directly linked to a good night's sleep and a happy, unhurried morning at home. The way my children wake up tends to set the tone for their whole day, so I try keep our bedtime routine pleasant and predictable. And earlier than ever. After dinner I shower the kiddos, lay out our clothes, read books and see them to sleep. Then I spend time with My Sweets and reorganize our stuff for the next day. I prep the book bag, lunch box, water bottles, car bag, and to-do list before lining it all up by the front door.


When the alarm sounds at 6:45 a.m. the kids race into our room, hide under our top sheet and giggle. If Daddy's still in the shower they wait for him to find them. We tickle, give foot massages, brush teeth and wash faces, spike Buby's hair, eat yogurt, talk about our grand plans, and then sing and dance all the way to school. I'm a car disc jockey Monday through Friday, and the time passes incredibly fast.


I realize our morning commute will not always go smoothly. Over the next 10 months we'll probably have our share of late nights, hurt feelings, fussy mornings and sick kids. But for now I am incredibly grateful for an easy first week. It makes all the difference.


Next month we'll welcome an unpredictable newborn into the mix. I'm sure he or she will need to be nursed or held or changed the second the rest of us are ready to leave somewhere. That's part of a baby's charm, right? They force you to slow down. But being late for anything makes my little dude anxious, so my goal is to continue our morning routine and to arrive at Buby's school five minutes early every day.

Back-To-School Feast

Last Wednesday I asked Buby what he wanted for his special dinner, and his first response was "skabetti and meatballs." {Note: Don't you love how little ones speed talk when they are excited and turn words like spaghetti into "skabetti "or "basketti?"}


I thought the request peculiar since we have spaghetti here like once a year, and I'm not sure I've ever made meatballs. Either way I was cool with whatever. By the time we got to the market though Buby had switched his mind to fettuccine Alfredo. "Definitely fettuccine Alfredo, Mama."


My Sweets wasn't home, so I kept dinner much simpler than it might have been. We picked up a loaf of olive ciabatta {Buby's obsession du jour}, some garden fettuccine {a tomato, carrot and spinach pasta blend}, and a jar of Newman's Own Alfredo sauce. The last few times I made Alfredo from scratch I wasn't as pleased with the taste.


I steamed of ton of broccoli and added fresh-ground pepper and basil. Super easy. Buby didn't want to dig in until I cut a bouquet of flowers for the table though. I said, "Your food will get cold." He responded, "It's okay, Mama, I'll wait. I want the flowers." I ran back to Mr. V's garden with my scissors.


My wee ones devoured every bite and asked for more. And then Bleu flipped her FULL glass of milk upside down. Definitely on purpose. Ahh... my girl. She continued to test her way into the little black time-out chair in the corner while Buby and I dished dessert.


Then we headed up for showers and story time. Buby went to bed SO happy and excited for Thursday. Details coming...

Kindergarten Essentials

One of the lovely things about Montessori school is the absence of a "classroom supplies" list. I am not running around last minute trying to stock an entire grade level with glue sticks, washable markers and disinfecting wipes. Awesome.

The few items we did want to purchase were a new book bag {his old one had a tear}, a matching lunchbox, a water bottle, a second sandwich box, and a small soup thermos.

Buby coveted a bright dino theme for kindergarten and personally requested the Stephen Joseph book bag above. Last Fall, if you remember, we went with a very similar S.J. snakes motif. There was no convincing about Lands' End or L.L. Bean. Trust me. He likes what he likes.

Luckily I found the right bag-box combo on a site called The Crazy Dazy. The stegosaurus drinking bottle is Crocodile Creek, and we stumbled upon it at a random shoe store. It was overpriced but completely irresistible. Our personalized labels are from Canadian vendor Mabel's Labels, and we couldn't be happier with those. We chose a teeny tiny dinosaur illustration for each one.

Now all we need is a short thermos for all the upcoming soup and stew days. I'm having the hardest time finding one in store... any suggestions? I do like the insulated jar here. Is that dino overload? Oh, whatever. Buby is so excited!

Wish Us Luck

Today is our first day of kindergarten. New school. New friends. New everything. Buby is psyched as far as I can tell. We'll see how the morning goes. Speaking of which, I better get to bed because my alarm is set to ring in 5 hours and there is no snoozing allowed.


In order to ensure a relaxing breakfast {Buby and Bleu are big on breakfast} all three of us took showers at bedtime. We set out our clothes and shoes, and I organized the all-important hand, snack, camera and book bags by the door. I need to be driving at 7:45.


The really sweet part of back to school this year is that it comes in bits and pieces, allowing us to ease our way into fall. Today and tomorrow will be half days ending at 11:30, so Bleu and I will just waste time in that area and then take the Bubster out to lunch to celebrate. Monday is a holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday will be regular full days, but next Thursday and Friday are holidays again.


So we have lots of time to refine our routine before school becomes an every day deal on the 13th. That's when the rest of our fall schedule kicks in, too. With the new baby coming sometime next month I was careful not to overload our family with commitments. But by the same token, I want to keep things flowing around here. Classes run 6-10 weeks long, so we can re-evaluate schedules again shortly after the baby arrives.


Swimming lessons are non-negotiable because of the in-ground pool right off our living area. The kids enroll every fall, winter and spring. They love it, and this year we're trying a new facility. In addition, we let them sign up for any one sport or weekly activity of their choice {ie. dance, gymnastics, tennis, t-ball, horse riding, art classes, whatev}. There is no shortage of incredibly fun enrichment programs for wee ones in this area, so narrowing it down can be difficult.


Bleu chose gymnastics for 2-3 year olds {a 45-minute parent-participation class every Wednesday morning}. She test-drove a bunch of gyms--since hers closed in June--and I am thrilled with the one she chose. This place is going to be a blast, and she'll be joined by at least three of her little friends {Ella, Addy and Sean}.


Buby will take tennis on Thursday afternoons at 3:15 at a different facility. There is an awesome viewing room right above the court, so the two younger ones and I will be able to watch him in his glory for an hour every week. Then the separate half-hour swim lessons every Saturday morning. Can you believe our girl tested into a class for 3 1/2 to 6 year olds? At 2 years and 4 months I fully intended to enroll her in the next level down, but the aquatics director said "Oh no, she's ready!" Why am I not surprised? After all, this is Bleu. She's crazy like that.