The three big kids started school today ... we now have a fourth grader, a third grader, and a first grader. Monday afternoon we went to the school to see everyone's class lists. For the most part everyone is pleased ...
Sam has lots of kids he knows from lots of different places in his class. His teacher started at our school last year, but this is by no means new to teaching, but I'm excited to get to know her.
Emily, was disappointed her best friends aren't in her class, but I did point out that she knows lots of the kids in her class and in third grade, she'll rotate among the three classes for things like math, science, & social studies, so she'll still see them lots. I'm hopeful her teacher will recognize her need to be challenged. She is so incredibly bright, but isn't showy or flashy about it and her need to be stimulated and stretched can easily get over looked because she is quiet and goes with the flow so easily.
Rebecca, is finally, after four years, not in the same class as D*. They were well matched academically, but not so much personality wise. He recognized early on she was an easy, fun target for teasing - and she is. Her teacher is one who she knows well, they met when Becca was in 1st grade. I'm hopeful this familiarity with her personality will also work to her benefit. Like Emily, she is very bright. Rebecca likes things that are familiar, easy, comfortable. She needs outside help and encouragement to reach outside her academic comfort zone and stretch her mind. The incentive for the teacher is if she's challenged regularly she isn't as easily bored, so her mouth doesn't move as much.
As for Alex ... we were going to put him in preschool, but it looks like we'll need to push that off for a semester or more. To be in preschool he must be potty trained and he has simply decided he does not need or want to potty train. I have introduced, prodded, forced, made numerous incentive plans, bribed, and gone cold turkey. We have not had a single success all summer long, not one. I'm sad for him, but we'll find other things to do. I am really getting the vibe from him that once it all clicks for him, this kid will be totally potty trained in a snap. He's just gotta decide he's ready to do it.
