First Day of Preschool!

And guess who forgot the camera?

Not to worry--I will document like a madwoman on Friday, but in the meantime, I know there are grandparents out there who are dying to hear how Rudy did on his first day of preschool.

Short answer: he did GREAT! Long answer to follow.

He will attend three mornings a week, from 9-11:30. Because it's a co-op, I will also work there as the "helping parent" 14 mornings a year, sometimes bringing snack for the kids, sometimes doing an activity with them. The school itself is housed in a building owned by the Friends Meeting (also known as the Quakers), and Rudy knows the facility well as we are irregular-but-enthusiastic attenders of the meeting. This, in fact, is one of the reasons we chose the co-op. We knew that familiarity would help mitigate his anxieties about starting school.

We have been preparing him for this transition for months now, and it has been quite the project. Rudy, as you all know, is an intense little guy. We are fortunate to have found this place, which fits our parenting philosophies wonderfully, and allows for a slow settling-in period for the kids. Parents are encouraged to stick around (but hang back) for as long as needed for everyone to get comfortable. So he knew I would be with him today, all day, and that helped immensely.

Rudy woke up this morning in a great mood and asked almost immediately, "When can we go to my school?" Encouraging! He had also picked out red pants and a red shirt to wear "because I am on the Red Team, Mama!" Very cute.

We arrived at 9:00 and Mrs. Kat, his main teacher, greeted us at the door with a huge smile. He hid behind me for a moment, and then emerged, pointing out the green alien on his shirt for her approval. A good start. We got his name tag on and joined the rest of the group in the "Green Rug Room," where all the fun cars and building toys are. He found the butterfly habitat immediately and we looked at the two Monarch chrysalises hanging from twigs stuck in the mesh. Ms. Mindy, his other teacher, came over to tell us that they expected the butterflies to emerge any day now. Exciting changes abound!

At the Co-op, 9-10 am is reserved for child-directed play, so Rudy was thrilled to discover that he could go ANYWHERE in the school and do ANYTHING. First stop: the Activity Room, where he shot basketballs into mesh hoops and began to build a track system for trains. A bunch of the other kids joined him, and I hung back as much as I could to observe. I heard lots of "excuse mes" and "thank yous" from all the kids, including my own. When little skirmishes erupted, Mrs. Kat deftly redirected and got things back on track. He had some moments of slight panic when he didn't immediately see me, but calmed down once he realized I was right around the corner, or out in the hallway.

In the hallway, Rudy discovered the bug catching paraphernalia, and Mrs. Kat took immediate notice, asking him if he'd like to go on a "Bug Hunting Expedition." Well, who wouldn't? So he and several other children lined up (this was a first for him and I was impressed that he caught on to the rules easily and without resistance) at the door and Mrs. Kat led them all out to the sand pit next to the woods to hunt crickets and, eww!, slugs. Rudy wheeled the wheelbarrow out for everyone voluntarily and with apparent pride.

Back inside (it was chilly and we neglected to bring a jacket for him. Learning curve!), he bopped from room to room for a while, until we heard everyone singing the Happy Birthday song, and we ran into the Green Rug room just in time to see a gorgeous Monarch butterfly shaking off the last threads of its cocoon. I'll take this as an auspicious sign!

Mrs. Kat called "Clean Up!" and then I watched as he moved seamlessly into that mode as well. This surprised me because Rudy, like so many 4 year olds, has a hard time changing gears. Next came "Book Look," where they wheel a cart full of books into the room and each child picks one out and sits on the floor "reading" quietly. Rudy chose a book about Cheyenne culture, and then one about writing your own book. My son the writer? Maybe someday.

Mrs. Kat and Ms. Mindy corralled the younger kids on the "Green Team" and everyone sat in the circle for song time. Here was Rudy's first experience with raising his hand, and he caught on almost immediately. It was so fun to watch him process all the newness and get right on board! He suddenly seemed very much in his element, as he answered questions about the days of the week and about what happens to a caterpillar when it comes out of a cocoon. (this was a theme in the classroom today; he also made a caterpillar sock puppet!)

Earlier, during free-play, the snack parent had enlisted the help of some of the kids to make bread dough to bake up some nice rolls. They bake bread with the kids twice a week at the Co-op, and the smell of yeasty deliciousness was beginning to waft in from the kitchen. Rudy said, "My tummy feels all grumbly." Mine too!

Ms. Mindy took the Green Team out and the four remaining "big kids" on the Red Team (this is only half his class size; this first week has a modified schedule to help kids settle in without being overwhelmed.) stayed with Mrs. Kat. She sat with the kids and an over-sized version of the Eric Carle book, The Hungry Little Caterpillar, and a box full of felt fruit and food that accompanies the story. She engaged the kids with the story itself, and then a lesson about the days of the week with the fruit. Again Rudy patiently raised his hand to answer questions (he can practically quote that book) and seemed genuinely elated with himself when Mrs. Kat chose him to answer a question.

"Boys and girls, because you are on the Red Team, this means you are old enough to have a responsibility. A job in our classroom," Mrs. Kat told everyone. Then she had kids pick their jobs and Rudy chose to be the "cup-getter" for snack time. He is already well-versed in the art of setting a table at home, so this was right up his alley.

After snack, the kids lined up at the door and Rudy again volunteered his service as compost-dumper. They all followed Mrs. Kat out to the playground and she showed him where to bring the small silver bucket filled with snack scraps before he sprinted toward the slide.

On the playground, I watched in awe as he engaged some of the kids, and even invited Mrs. Kat herself to play tag. Which she did! They ran all over the far field together and it was abundantly clear that he was having a great time.

Finally, it was dismissal time, and the ritual is to hold hands in a circle near the oak tree. Rudy had expressed worry about this part, and I assured him that he didn't have to; he could just stand next to me if he felt shy. "Or you could hold Mr. Tree's hand instead," I offered. I watched him touch the bark and then immediately drop his hand into Jolie's--the girl right next to him. We sang the "Goodbye Song" and Mrs. Kat dismissed us first. We waved goodbye to his new friends and walked to the car.

"I didn't want to leave, Mama," he said.

"I know, Roo," I told him, "but we get to come back on Friday. How does that sound?

"That sounds just great," he said, grabbing my hand.



It just could not have gone any better. I am so proud I could, and still might, cry.