Last Year of the Loop

It's Maggie's last year in her looping program at the BSU children's center, and I'm mixed with a lot of excitement, and a little sadness. The children in this program stay with the same teacher(s) and children for three years. Each year a few new children join the group, as the group grows. This last year there are actually no new children on M/W/F. So Maggie's been playing and learning with these children for 1-2 years now! I used to do a social group in this last classroom with Chris, and those years I spent teaching alongside her, as she allowed my students with special needs into her class more than willingly, are what made me realize that having her as your child's earliest teacher would be an amazing experience! In this last class Maggie will begin to really prepare for preschool. She'll become very independent with self-care tasks, and she'll solidify her relationships with peers she already adores. She'll continue to work on pre-academic skills that are functional, meaningful, and interest initiated by her and her friends. I was already shocked when Chris told me that Maggie will get her own diaper and wipes out of her cubby, to bring to the bathroom each time she needs changed; it's already resulted in three days of wearing underwear most of the day, and she's only had a couple accidents. Maggie now signs herself in (early print awareness/pre-literacy skill) each morning by searching for her name and placing it on a board. Chris has already provided plenty of opportunities for independent tasks at mealtimes such as scooping food to serve themselves, pouring their drinks, etc., but now they will really take this on independently. It's absolutely amazing! I'm so lucky as a parent that Chris believes so much in the value of the home-school connection. I think a lot of parents feel they miss out when they work and their child attends an early learning setting. I'm so lucky that if Maggie does something new (which she does often at school, because there are so many experiences that just don't happen at home, and visa-versa) Chris makes sure she at least gets photo documentation to keep me informed about Moo's day. I really don't feel like I've missed anything. I think if anything, Maggie's and Zac and I have just gotten so much more from it.

Here are some pictures Chris sent me of Maggie's first day of the new fall semester during a mealtime...Enjoy!