Yesterday was Kale's first day at his new school and his first day of full-day school! We went to an orientation last week at the school and had been practising walking there over our vacation, so he was excited to go back. When we arrived he saw one of his old friends from last year and I instantly became worried that he was going to be confused as to why they were going to different classes. However, Kale seemed distracted enough by all that was going on, that he just said hi and "you have a TRAIN on your shirt" and moved on.
His teachers met us at the door of his classroom and welcomed him in. His school has a "parents leave at the door" policy, which is tough for me, but I trust in the school that this is what works best. I told Kale I was going to work and he gave me a hug and a kiss and as I walked one way and his teachers encouraged him to come into the classroom, I saw a brief look of confusion cross over his face. I stayed confident, walked out the door, didn't hear any tears, and then shed a few in my car in the parking lot.
After spending two weeks with him vacation, it was really hard to be away from him all day. I spent most of my day wondering how he was doing and itching to see him. I rushed to the school for 3:30pm and his class was down playing in the gym. I talked to one of his teachers for about 10 minutes, watching him play. She told me he had an amazing day - ate well, napped well (!!!), was really into exploring all the materials, and loved playing in the gym. I was so, SO, happy to hear that his first day was a success.
Last night was a bit of head's up to both Kris and I that our schedule will need to change. Kale was so exhausted after his busy day and a "quick trip to the mall" resulted in two public meltdowns (which almost never happen) and very, very cranky little man. We came home, put him in his pj's, and he was asleep at 7:30pm (he usually goes to sleep between 8 and 8:30pm). I think tonight we'll stick close to home, take it easy, and shoot for a earlier bedtime!
Here's hoping the rest of the week (and year!) goes just as well :)
Kale: you are awesome!!! So proud of you and all of your hard work!
ReplyDeleteso great that he loves school and that he did so well. J was exhausted at first too but a month into it he's gone back to his regular later bed time. I'm sure its just a bit of a learning curve.
ReplyDeleteoh i meant to ask, is he still in a Montessori school?
ReplyDeleteAna, I think you're right. Once he's adjusted to the new schedule, he'll probably be back to staying up later. They mentioned he didn't nap very long yesterday, so I'm sure that was a factor. And yes, it's still a Montessori school :)
Deleteso good to hear randalin! i completely understand the "drop off at the door policy" -- i notice a lot of kids will start crying if their parents are still hanging around when they enter the class. it's like they get to stop and think about it a moment too long.. and are like "uhh.. where YOU going?!"
ReplyDeleteseba had a good day too... we are experiencing the opposite of you: last year he was full day and this year he is half day. he DID NOT nap at all yesterday.. he came home going strong until 8:30!! KILL ME! hopefully today will be different.
i read your last post as well and meant to ask: what is the schedule like at your school? i've visited a few schools around here and i'm trying to gauge the perfect amount of "academic time" vs. "free time" vs. "play time" and "quiet time" --- i know it would be impossible to expect these little guys to have hours upon hours of academics... but i wonder what a good equation is? montessori schools are so all over the place and not standardized that sometimes i feel like i'm overpaying for a daycare. maybe i'm pregnant and psycho today. who knows.
it would be good to have a link-up where parents do a post on 'a day in the life of a montessori child' -- basically just a scheduled list of activities they do at their school. an awesome comparison tool for other parents searching for the right mix. what do you think?
ps. yaaaay kale!
I can only imagine a day with Seba without a nap (likely very similar to a day with Kale without a nap - WOAH). I think I mentioned this last week when we were chatting, but Kale seemed to catch a second wind when we picked him up after lunch and it was sometimes a struggle to get him down for a nap by 2:30pm. Yet on the weekends, when we weren't changing his environment half way through the day, he would always nap at noon. Now he naps 12-2pm at school.
DeleteI think a link up of schedules is a good idea. I'm going to email you later about it :)
Congrats Kale & family :) I'm also wondering about your schedule, specifically what time you drop him off. My son is a late sleeper, so it'll be interesting to see what happens if & when I have to drop him off early to school.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristina - thanks so much :) I will post more details about the specifics of Kale's schedule at school in another post, but we do drop off at 8:45am. Last year (we were at a different school), it was 8:15am. Kale is an early riser, so both times are fine. I wouldn't worry about your little guy - kids are quick to adapt to new schedules. I'm sure he'd adjust!
DeleteHappy first day! So glad it's going great for Mr. Kale :) Ot goes to a Montessori as well. I love the age range, how the little kids can look to the older ones as guides, the older ones get to act as teachers, and everyone at their own self guided pace <3 that leave at the door business breaks my heart every time though.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! Kale was the youngest in his class year and it was perfect. He learned so much from his older classmates (like using the toilet!). This year he is one of the older kids and it's great too - now he can return the favour and teach the younger ones a thing or two and can also be a leader :)
Deletewhat an adorable photo!
ReplyDeletegrace
http://herumbrella.com
He's getting too big! He's a little man now. Let's get together before he's a teenager.
ReplyDeleteHappy first day of school Kale! I'm so glad to hear that he likes it! The parents leave at the door policy would be so hard for me...I'm sure that it's a million times harder for the parents than it is for the kids haha.
ReplyDeleteHaven't checked in here for too long...we have our first day tomorrow, and I'm anxious! I'm glad to hear things went so well and excellent point about revamping our schedule--I think this may be in the works for us too!
ReplyDeleteglad he had a great day! Yes, a new environment does take a toll! I remember my son also had a tough time staying awake enough to eat his dinner after the first day of school. I now completely avoid going out anywhere during the week!
ReplyDeleteSo glad he's having a good time at school. What a great idea to practice walking there during vacation. Just think, with him wearing out faster, you and your husband can have more couple time. Awesome!
ReplyDelete