Written Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

I CANNOT believe kindergarten is over!  It went so fast!

God is so faithful…I remember the stress of last spring and summer trying to decide which school was best for us.  I remember the nervous feelings of starting school – for James and us as well!  Having been a teacher, it was so surreal being on the parent side of things.  Would I be one of “those parents” who were sometimes difficult to work with?

We couldn’t have asked for a better start to James’s school career.  The school proved to be wonderful in every way.  In fact, I was asked to sit on a parent panel last month during a meeting for incoming kindergarten parents, and I jumped at the chance to help.  It was this meeting in particular last year that sealed the deal for us.  I so enjoyed hearing not only from the administration and staff, but also a team of parents who answered all kinds of questions.  So helpful.

And James’s teacher…where do I begin?  She was fabulous.  She is incredibly kind, caring, and loving to the kids.  She is also incredibly calm – what an inspiration to me as a mom!  Being in her classroom is so enjoyable and peaceful.  What a haven for James this year.  In fact, we’ve discovered that he much prefers that calm atmosphere to the noisy bus rides on a field trip, or crazy class parties where parents and younger siblings are invited.  What a gift she gave the kids this year in creating such a special learning environment.  Everyone remembers their kindergarten teacher because of the tremendous influence they have starting school, and we definitely won’t forget his teacher!

James learned so many things this year – I can’t believe all they squeezed in to half-day kindergarten that only met 4 days a week!  The most exciting thing has been watching him learn to read.  What a remarkable thing to witness as a parent!  The teachers did the majority of the work, of course, in teaching the phonograms and practicing with the kids, but we were expected to work a little each day at home, too.  It was so exciting to be a part of that learning process.  While James is still hesitant to read on his own, I know he’s secretly very proud of himself, too.  I’ve started reading chapter books aloud to the kids and we’ve also stocked up on early reading books so James can read on his own this summer.  And, we’ll continue to frequent the library so he can pick out books he’s interested in, too.

Last week, James’s class met at a park for an end of the year party.  While only a handful were able to come, we had a blast until it started to rain!

Then today, Anna and I popped into the classroom as the kids kids gave the teachers their gifts and said goodbyes.  What an emotional time for the mamas in the room!  I didn’t see that coming.  Listening to the teacher explain that since they all knew where her classroom was, they could come visit her at any time next school year.  Then several kids said, “But I don’t WANT to leave kindergarten!”  Sweet, sweet kids.  Change is hard, isn’t it?

On the way home, James had such mixed emotions.  He said he felt like he wanted to cry because he wouldn’t be able to see his friends and teachers every day now.  We talked through all of that and as we started discussing all of the fun things we’ll be doing this summer, he started to cheer up.  The room mom is planning to schedule some play dates with his class over the summer, too, which will be great.

For dinner we took James out for waffles to celebrate and presented him with a kindergarten graduation gift – wood blocks for his drum set!

James, mom and dad are SO proud of you as you finish your kindergarten year of school! You’ve worked so hard each day at school which was proved by how exhausted you were coming home each day.  May this summer be one of relaxation and fun as well as an enjoyable time of reviewing and prepping for first grade.  Way to go, son!