Travelingjenny

Gracie on her first day at the Friends School – 9/5/07

We decided to change preschools three weeks before the start of school. After much discussion and soul searching, Adam and I decided that Gracie’s old preschool was just not the best fit for her. This was a hard decision – after all, we really have no clue what went on at preschool last year. All we knew was that Gracie never seemed to be very excited about going to school, and she hardly talked about it at all. Adam and I came to the conclusion that for us, the main goal of preschool is to foster a joy of learning, and a love of school. So we found a situation that seemed better suited to her – fewer kids, more teacher interaction, more group activities, and LOTS of time spent outside (exploring the ISLAND on which the school is located – how cool is that?!).

After two days of preschool, all I can say is: mission accomplished. Gracie is excited to go to school and when I pick her up, she happily chats away, describing all of the wonderful things she got to do with her new friends. So far, this includes: beginning each morning by saying hello to a huge elm tree; eating snack OUTSIDE, sitting in a circle with all of her friends; exploring the beach; painting; roaring like a tiger; meeting some big kids and having a contest to see which group could sing the loudest; and reading books in the ‘peace corner’. Today, I was horrified when I was a few minutes late to pick her up (thanks to Tess’s very tardy doctor) – but she was very happily sitting with her new friends (the ones who stay for a full day) while they ate lunch. And as we left, Gracie asked, "Mommy, next time can I stay for lunch, too?" I can’t begin to describe how nice it was to hear that.