Halfway Through Kindergarten

With term three starting this week for Grace, we are halfway through the school year...well into the routine of early morning starts, the packing of lunchboxes and the ironing of uniforms.  Chatting yesterday with a friend over morning tea made me reflect on our journey so far, on my feelings and beliefs about educating little ones, on how we've grown as both a 'kindy kid' and a 'kindy parent' and on what has been great and what has made me sad...

Becoming a 'school Mum', I was very conscious of taking off my 'teacher's hat' and of slipping into my new role without any preconceived opinions.  Despite coming from a background in education however, everything has felt quite new to me standing on the other side, especially not having been in the classroom myself for several years now.  In many regards, kindy has been different to what I'd expected and from conversations with fellow parents and teaching colleagues, I'm not alone in my perceptions. Standards have shifted, expectations seem higher these days and there is more pressure from various influences.  I'm sad that it feels as though there is less of the 'free play' and time for creative expression, with a lot of the work hanging in Grace's classroom clearly linked to learning outcomes.  And while there have been many fun experiences such as pyjama days and teddy bear's picnics, our introduction to school life has felt quite full on.  Long days from 8.50 to 3.10 are the norm. Concepts once seen in a year one classroom are slowly filtering back into pre-primary and kindergarten.  Formal portfolios of work and reports are expected.  

On the positive side though, kindy has provided Grace with wonderful experiences... the chance to socialise with peers of her age, to form little friendships, to become more independent and to begin to develop her literacy and numeracy skills all while settling into the routine of school life.  Finding Grace's jottings around the house with 'words' made up of actual letters, her name scrawled on anything and everything and hearing her role play 'teachers and students' with Sophie and her toys truly makes me smile.  Hearing her make remarks like, "Mummy, I know another word that starts with the 's' sound! Snail!" and seeing her practising skills she's picked up in class make me excited for all that Grace has grasped already and for all the wonderful learning adventures she has ahead of her in the coming years.

And while the house is a lot quieter on the two days my sweet girl is at school (three days on each alternate week) and while Sophie spends a good portion of the morning asking me 'Gace?  Gace?', I often find myself looking over at our empty kitchen table where Grace is normally found engaged in some creative activity, wondering what it is she's learning about, hoping she's having a good time and looking forward to hearing all about it as we sit down after school together over afternoon tea, sharing snippets of our days...

Making The Decision To Change Schools

As the girls and I return home after being out and about during our days, there’s a little routine of landmarks we recite on the last leg of any journey…

“Past the shops… Past Grace’s school… And here’s our street!”

As of recently, I’ve stopped saying the words ‘past Grace’s school’ because as of a few days ago, we have decided that Grace will be changing schools when she enters into pre-primary in 2014 (five days full time here in WA).  Major changes within her current school which we do not support have been the driving force behind us doing so.

Last week was filled with indecision, the weighing up of options, much deliberation over what was best for our gentle girl, lots of research and plenty of discussion (with a sprinkling of worry on my part). Grace will still be attending a government primary school, one which is fortunately within our same suburb.  However, it will no longer be the school conveniently located at the end of our street, the one where we take Asha for a run on the oval and which we drive past day after day.

With our decision now made, I am hoping that this change is going to be for the best, that perhaps Grace’s new school is where we should have been all along and where she will hopefully receive the type of education we wanted for her from the start.  Less pressure. A place where childhood is valued and not rushed.  Respect for our Australian culture.  A caring school community filled with like-minded families.   

For now, she’s happy in her little kindergarten class and so any talk of a new school won’t happen until the year is over...

For now I have to have faith in our decision and in Grace’s ability to smoothly transition to a new environment come February...  

For now, I have to accept what is and trust what will be…

Pre-Term Butterflies

A few days ago, I drove past Grace’s new school and seeing all the teachers’ cars in the staff car park made me think back to where I used to be at this time each and every year prior to having children.  The final days of summer holidays were always spent in my classroom preparing for the term and year ahead.  Day dreaming about all that we would achieve and discover together on our learning journey.  Printing off name tags for each and every student.  Pouring over class lists and picturing the personalities behind each name.  Arranging desks.  Creating a classroom that felt warm and welcoming…

There are only a few days remaining before students go back to school here in WA.  However this year, I’m experiencing things on the flip side from a parent’s perspective and everything feels so foreign.  I’ve become the slightly emotional mama who can’t quite believe that her big girl is off to kindy, when it seems like it was only yesterday she was born.  

Slowly over this past week, we’ve been talking more and more about the journey ahead of us… preparing both Grace AND me.  There has been a lunchbox and a backpack to buy, much thinking on my part about what to actually pack in both, school supplies and uniforms to label, decisions to make regarding morning routines, thoughts on how we will spend our non-kindy days together… and a touch of nervousness on both our parts.

But there is also excitement. Excitement for the adventures and friends and experiences ahead.  For the skills my big girl will develop and for the tales of her days I look forward to her sharing with me as we walk home at the end of a school day.  There will be, I’m sure, many proud moments ahead… moments I look forward to whole heartedly.  So as our first of many terms commences next week, I will undoubtedly miss my little shadow, but will try not to dwell on the butterflies in my stomach and instead think about all the happy times ahead as her schooling journey begins...

An Important Year Of 'School'

Grace’s kindergarten orientation session yesterday morning went brilliantly, something which surprised me following her behaviour the night before.  In hindsight, I had built things up too much for her before bed.  As I tucked her in, we chatted about her big day ahead and about getting to meet her new teacher before saying goodnight and turning out the light.  However, our conversation must have left Grace lying in bed feeling anxious as she made an appearance in our living room numerous times with excuses of needing to go to the toilet, wanting a sip of water or pleading with me to lie with her.  Sensing her nervousness, I initially responded with compassion and care.  By the third of fourth time, I mumbled something about Father Christmas watching her and she disappeared back to her room without a squeak. 

And so our session yesterday surprised me.  Grace greeted her teacher confidently and introduced herself as well as her little sister.  She skipped off to the drawing activity whilst I sat at another table filling in forms and she then proceeded to give her teacher a full description of what she’d drawn.  She was the only child in our session I heard talk.  When our half hour was over, Grace looked up sadly from her play dough creation and said, “But I don’t want to go home yet Mummy, I want to stay longer.”  I smiled at the teacher and told her I’d been anticipating the opposite reaction.  Of course yesterday, I was still within sight and the transition session in a fortnight’s time where Grace will spend an hour doing activities with her teacher in her new classroom without me will be the real test. 

I returned home yesterday though feeling at ease and with a real sense of peace about the whole kindy journey ahead of us.  Grace’s teacher was warm and sweet natured, greeting the children kindly and making the parents feel welcome and valued.  It left me thinking about what people perceive as the most important year of a child’s primary school education.  As a parent, I can definitely see the significance of that initial experience in a kindergarten or pre-primary learning environment as it sets the scene for the years ahead.  As for my own kindergarten experiences though, I don’t remember much besides the bridal veil in the dress-up corner and the mud pies I made in the sand pit.    

What has been the most important year of schooling from your own experiences?