Ava cracks me up. The other day we were reading a book before bedtime.
Ava breaks out with this random thought:
"The purpose of books is to entertain, inform or persuade... I think this book is to entertain."
This girl has a memory like an elephant; she doesn't forget a thing.
Peace, love and retention of a good kind,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
Showing posts with label Kindergarten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kindergarten. Show all posts
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Popcorn Words
Ava's class at school has been working on their "popcorn words." These are words that should "pop" into the student's head and be automatically recognized (without needing to sound them out). There are 80 words total, 40 that comprise the kindergarten list. Ava finshed ALL 80 words before Christmas!
At first taking a word for face value wasn't the easiest thing for her, since she learned phonetically how to read words (with A Beka's reading program at Lighthouse Academy). Reading phonetically should help her in the long run, though, since she'll be able to sound her way through words that might seem difficult.
She is quite the reader! Prior to the holidays, she has been reading up through level "I" in Newmark's rising reader leveled books. We haven't attempted anything above level I, yet.
Newmark's "level" chart:
This is the note that was sent home with her, which was attached to a bag of celebratory popcorn! Now that she has made her way through the popcorn words, she is working on spelling all of the popcorn words correctly. I think Ava, a little boy named Cody and Ava's friend Ansley are the first three to have moved onto spelling the popcorn words.
Go Ava!!!
Peace, love and kernels,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Ava's Report Card #2
Ava received her second report card Friday. She did GREAT! She is meeting all of the expectations very well. The only thing we found that we can work on with her is identifying and describing our national holidays. (I had no idea - especially considering how crafty she is for EVERY holiday!) I thought it was interesting that this is the only item on which she received a "2" (Progressing toward meeting standards), instead of a "3" (Meets standards). I am wondering if it was because "Veteran's Day" was celebrated right around the time the report cards were graded? I guess I had not yet gone over it with her!
She has improved in many different areas, now with most of her "learning skills and behaviors" rated S for "successful".
The key is:
S= Successful - Student displays appropriate learning skills and behaviors.
P= Progressing - Student is progressing; displays appropriate learning skills and behaviors most of the time.
N=Needs Improvement - Student does not display learning skills and behaviors that lead to success.
Here are the areas on her report card:
Learning Skills Q1 / Q2
Organizes self and materials S / S
Works neatly S / S
Works independently S / S
Asks questions / seeks help when needed P / P
Completes tasks in a timely manner S / S
Stays on task S / S
Learning Behaviors Q1 / Q2
Uses self control S / S
Exhibits good listening skills S / S
Accepts responsibility for behavior P / P
Claims fair share of attention S / S
Expresses feelings appropriately S / S
Cooperation, Rules & Procedures Q1 / Q2
Treats others with respect P / S
Accepts personal responsibility P / P
Works cooperatively P / S
Follows directions S / S
Shows respect for property S / S
Shows respect for authority S / S
Controls talking P / S
So it appears she has improved quite a bit!
I do think I might ask Mrs. Mckenzie, teacher of the Mckenzie Mcintoshes, what the deal is with "accepts personal responsibility" and "accepts responsibility for behavior". If anything, I think if she is caught responding to another student when they aren't supposed to be talking, she will often tell me "that person was talking to me and I was telling them to be quiet." So it might sound like she isn't accepting responsibility for responding / talking to them. Not sure. I went over all of the items (positive and possible improvements). She seemed very receptive and loved hearing how well she did.
We let her pick where we went for dinner on Friday night. Grandma Pam would be happy...She chose Frankie's. She has grown quite fond of their tortellini. She says she loves it because it tastes "warm". It is served in a cream-style sauce, so I think she's describing comfort food! :)
We're so thankful she continues to progress! Fun times. She is loving school.
Peace, love and studious Mcintoshes,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
She has improved in many different areas, now with most of her "learning skills and behaviors" rated S for "successful".
The key is:
S= Successful - Student displays appropriate learning skills and behaviors.
P= Progressing - Student is progressing; displays appropriate learning skills and behaviors most of the time.
N=Needs Improvement - Student does not display learning skills and behaviors that lead to success.
Here are the areas on her report card:
Learning Skills Q1 / Q2
Organizes self and materials S / S
Works neatly S / S
Works independently S / S
Asks questions / seeks help when needed P / P
Completes tasks in a timely manner S / S
Stays on task S / S
Learning Behaviors Q1 / Q2
Uses self control S / S
Exhibits good listening skills S / S
Accepts responsibility for behavior P / P
Claims fair share of attention S / S
Expresses feelings appropriately S / S
Cooperation, Rules & Procedures Q1 / Q2
Treats others with respect P / S
Accepts personal responsibility P / P
Works cooperatively P / S
Follows directions S / S
Shows respect for property S / S
Shows respect for authority S / S
Controls talking P / S
So it appears she has improved quite a bit!
I do think I might ask Mrs. Mckenzie, teacher of the Mckenzie Mcintoshes, what the deal is with "accepts personal responsibility" and "accepts responsibility for behavior". If anything, I think if she is caught responding to another student when they aren't supposed to be talking, she will often tell me "that person was talking to me and I was telling them to be quiet." So it might sound like she isn't accepting responsibility for responding / talking to them. Not sure. I went over all of the items (positive and possible improvements). She seemed very receptive and loved hearing how well she did.
We let her pick where we went for dinner on Friday night. Grandma Pam would be happy...She chose Frankie's. She has grown quite fond of their tortellini. She says she loves it because it tastes "warm". It is served in a cream-style sauce, so I think she's describing comfort food! :)
We're so thankful she continues to progress! Fun times. She is loving school.
Peace, love and studious Mcintoshes,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
Monday, December 05, 2011
Mystery Reader: "Ava's Dad"
I signed-up to be the mystery reader for Ava's class in December. The class uses a Web site called Volunteerspot, which organizes the opportunities for volunteering in the classroom, and relays when the spots are filled.
I asked Doug if he wanted to be the msytery reader for Ava's classroom, instead of me, since I've previously volunteered. I thought Ava would enjoy having Doug read to her classroom. So, I went to Barnes and Noble, did some research and bought a few books that I thought Doug might like to read. He chose "The Gingerbread Boy Loose In The School," which I thought was pretty fitting, considering the season.
Doug showed up, only to find out that another child's mom AND dad were there to read. Huh? The couple seemed a little miffed that someone else was there to read. Mrs. Mckenzie, Ava's teacher, set the record straight and said "Well, I do have the Careys down to read." Phew! Mrs. Mckenzie let both dads read, but she let Doug go first. Ava was beaming. Unfortunately we don't have a picture to share! Doug said he tried to be very animated and held the book toward the kids while he read it. When the next dad got up to read, he said he didn't know how he was going to follow that and also read the pages before he flipped the book around, to show the kids the pictures. Regardless, at least two kids had a special day that day, with their dad there to read to the class. :-)
It turned out there was an issue with http://www.volunteerspot.com/. Good to know!
Peace, love and Gingerbread Men Loose in the School,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
I asked Doug if he wanted to be the msytery reader for Ava's classroom, instead of me, since I've previously volunteered. I thought Ava would enjoy having Doug read to her classroom. So, I went to Barnes and Noble, did some research and bought a few books that I thought Doug might like to read. He chose "The Gingerbread Boy Loose In The School," which I thought was pretty fitting, considering the season.
Doug showed up, only to find out that another child's mom AND dad were there to read. Huh? The couple seemed a little miffed that someone else was there to read. Mrs. Mckenzie, Ava's teacher, set the record straight and said "Well, I do have the Careys down to read." Phew! Mrs. Mckenzie let both dads read, but she let Doug go first. Ava was beaming. Unfortunately we don't have a picture to share! Doug said he tried to be very animated and held the book toward the kids while he read it. When the next dad got up to read, he said he didn't know how he was going to follow that and also read the pages before he flipped the book around, to show the kids the pictures. Regardless, at least two kids had a special day that day, with their dad there to read to the class. :-)
It turned out there was an issue with http://www.volunteerspot.com/. Good to know!
Peace, love and Gingerbread Men Loose in the School,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Thanksgiving Festivities at Murdock Elementary
Ava's class had a concert, along with two of the other kindergarten classes. It was scheduled around noon. Doug and I both headed to Ava's school, where parents and kids were seated in the music room. One of the other kindergarten teachers directed the classes in their music. Kids were dressed as either a pilgrim or an indian. Ava was dressed as an indian, complete with an outfit she decorated. :)
Their songs were absolutely hilarious. One of my favorites was:
Their songs were absolutely hilarious. One of my favorites was:
"Oh, I'm glad I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving Day!
They'll stuff you and beat you...
and then they will eat you...
Oh, I'm glad I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving Day!"
Once the concert concluded, we went back to Ava's classroom, where they had desserts. We brought some Rolos treats (A Rolos candy on top of a pretzel, then topped with a pecan half). Ava showed us her placemat, which was QUITE colorful! I took a look at the other placemats of her fellow classmates. Let's just say Ava is VERY creative... Most kids drew simple eyes, a nose and mouth. Ava drew eyelashes, red cheeks, etc. ;-)
We just sat down to start eating some yummy treats when Mrs. Mckenzie mentioned that all "McIntoshes" (they call the kindergarteners Mckenzie McIntoshes) should show their parents how well they can act during a tornado drill. Here I am thinking it was a dog and pony show, when in actuality there was a real threat of a tornado. The teachers and students were ushered into the hallway, where the kids had to kneel on the floor, putting their head down, as well, with their hands clasped over their necks. They had to stay in this position until the threat of a tornado passed. We were there, hunkered down in the hallway, for an hour and a half! With kids who had just been sugared up and weren't supposed to make noise. They actually did really well...I couldn't believe it!
It was an odd ending to our celebration! We were finally told we could leave, at which point we just took Ava home (since it was the end of the school day anyway).
The Thanksgiving program
Ava's seriously colorful placemat.
Check out Ava's colorful placemat and her deskmates' placemats.
Taking a break from our hurricane positions...
Ava's recap of a book about a turkey who disguised himself as a pig,
to avoid the Thanksgiving table. ;-)
("Turkey was terrifying (terrified).
He wants to get a costume because he didn't want to get eaten.
He got on a pig costume.
It did work.
Turkey dressed up as a pizza man and he delivered pizza.
They ate pizza.")
Peace, love, pilgrims and indians,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
Friday, October 28, 2011
This Place is a Zoo!
Ava’s class at school was scheduled for a field trip to the Atlanta Zoo on Thursday, October 20th. Fortunately we got a rental van in time, as I had planned on heading there with Ava. I took a vacation day from work and met Ava and her class at the zoo entrance. The kids and teachers had taken the school bus, but parents drove to the zoo and met the class at the entrance. Other parents from class were familiar to me, so I joined up with them while we waited for the kids.
Everyone was bundled up, since it was such a chilly day! The cashier in the ticket booth told me the gorillas wouldn’t be out as early as they normally are; it was too chilly for them.
The silly picture. :)
We stuck together as a class. There were 21 kids, with 9 parents showing up to accompany their kids. I was impressed that there were that many parents there! Mrs. Mckenzie split up the kids, so each of the parents helped with at least one child other than their own. Ansley White was the little girl that tagged along with Ava and me.
The parents who attended the class field trip.
We ate an early sack lunch in a little seating area toward the entrance. After lunch, we saw the gorillas, monkeys and chimpanzees. We went into the reptile house, and also saw giraffes, hippos. Ansley seemed particularly interested in the reptiles. We saw a HUGE Gila monster! The pandas seemed especially playful and were fun to watch.
After we were finished visiting the zoo, I left it up to Ava as to whether or not she would ride home with me. I wasn’t sure if the bus would be “more fun.” ;-) She opted to ride home with me. It was a fun trip! I’m so glad I went. It was fun holding hands, walking around the zoo with her.
Peace, love and chilly chimps!
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Ava's First Day of School: August 15, 2011
Wow, is our daughter really a kindergartener? Where did the time go? It's funny... I didn't start tearing up until Ava's day care principal, who has nine kids of her own, started talking to me about Ava's moving on to greener pastures... I also teared-up a little when walking home from the bus stop, after Ava got on the bus the first day of school. Totally unexpected!
Fast forward five years. This is Ava's first day of school:
August 15, 2011.
I thought it very brave of her to want to take the bus to school. Such a big kid thing to do! I originally thought I would drive her for the first few weeks, so she could get used to one thing at a time. After talking it over with a few people, including my Mom, as well as going on a "trial run" (they offered the Friday before school started) on the bus with Ava myself, I decided I was okay with it... (I was most concerned with her learning things from older kids that might not be kindergarten-age appropriate). There were probably six kids that took the "trial run" bus ride, along with their parents. On the bus, they separate out the kids by grade on the bus (phew!), have assigned seating with the kindergarteners sitting up front, closest to the bus driver. Ava opted to sit right behind the bus driver when I rode with her. She says that's where she sits everyday, now. That first day, Ava hopped on the bus without hesitation. No tears, no frowns, no hesitation at all. I think I was the one with separation anxiety!
Doug and I watched her as she jumped on the bus for the first time, heading to "big kid school." Her bus driver, Mr. Mike, is actually the #1 Bus Driver in Cobb County. He has this huge 3 foot trophy at the front of the bus to prove it. He was #2 for four years running and finally became the #1 driver. I'm not sure if the bus drivers have a competition to decide this, or what? He says he hasn't ever had any kind of accident driving. (And obviously he knew exactly what to say to make this Momma feel better about the bus scenario....) Mr. Mike runs a tight ship / bus, so I felt better about Ava being under his watch.
With confidence, I can say that Ava's day care attendance played a major role in her preparedness for this big day. The bus arrives at our bus stop at 7:20. So, we officially have earlier wake-up calls AND lights-out. I dreaded this at first, but am finding I get more done during the day with a few extra hours of useful time.
The first two days of school, Ava went to "ASP" (After School Program). I thought she would enjoy this, rather than coming home to relax. She decided she wanted to take the bus home on days that I don't go into the office (every other Monday and every other Thursday). So, on those days when I am in the office, she will go to ASP. She has been taking the bus home on all other days. I really enjoy being there when she gets off the bus and walking the short walk home with her, asking her about her day. She holds my hand and tells me all about her school day. She LOVES it. She is thriving.
When I picked her up after school the first day, she walked into the cafeteria to meet me at the After School Program desk / pick-up area. She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face as she walked toward me. It was too incredibly sweet. I leaned down and gave her the biggest of hugs.
She came home with the following letter from her teacher, which I loved. I appreciated that the teacher let parents know exactly what they did that day. :)
She took her lunch the first few days, as well as the required healthy afternoon snack. They eat lunch at 10:40 in the morning, so she is normally starving when she comes home from school. She couldn't find her lunch one day (LOL, her backpack isn't that huge!), so she decided to get the school lunch (for which I had pre-paid). I was so proud of her... if I were her, I think I would've been intimidated / too shy to go with a different lunch / process. Not Ava! She seems so confident and is comfortably embracing everything that comes her way, so far.
There is a system of behavior reward and correction in Mrs. McKenzie's kindergarten class. (Who, by the way, is TEACHER OF THE YEAR!) Everyone has an apple on a tree on the wall. Throughout the day, if you have exceptionally great behavior, the teacher will let you move your apple into the "sunshine" (at the top of the tree). If you had poor behavior, your apple can move down to the trunk, then (with more poor behavior) the apple can move down to the grass, from the grass to the dirt, from the dirt to the bucket (with each occurrence one movement down). The apple starts out in the tree (good area) at the start of every school day. Ava's apple has been in the SUNSHINE TWO DAYS during the first 7 days of school! (Other days her apple has been in the tree). Yesterday she mentioned she was the only one whose apple has been in the sunshine more than once. Go Ava!
She has a friend she enjoys sitting with on the bus. It's hilarious...she CAN'T remember her friend's name, but it sounds like her friend is Indian and has a very long name. A funny story... Whenever Ava gets on the bus, I notice a little Chinese girl looking at me through the window, as the bus drives away. I wondered if this little girl was Ava's friend / seatmate, of whom she talks daily. I asked Ava if her friend looks like "Kai-Lan" (from the t.v. cartoon "Ni-Hao Kai Lan"), knowing Ava might not be able to answer if she was Chinese. She said her friend didn't look like Kai Lan. The next day, Ava came home from school, telling me her bus friend is Indian. I asked how she knew her friend was Indian. She said she asked her "Are you Indian?" No beating around the bush there! Ha ha. Not that her ethnicity mattered a bit to me, I was just curious if the little Chinese girl who waves at me from the bus was the friend Ava often talks about. I did explain that to Ava, so she would understand I wasn't trying to be judgemental, just trying to see if her friend was the person looking out the window! :)
I am THAT Mom when Ava comes home. You know, the one with a million questions! What did you eat for lunch...Did you eat all of your lunch... Did you read any books in class... What book did you read... Did you make any new friends today...What are their names... Did you have any special classes today...Where was your apple today on the tree...Did you nap... Did your snack work out well...Did you find the Jolly Rancher I put in your lunch as a special treat for you...Do you have any homework...How was your bus friend's weekend...The list goes on. I want to know as much as possible about everything she experienced! :) Especially when I'm used to talking to her teachers directly at day care. Now I'm getting word from Ava. I'm also hyper-conscious now about how hydrated she is, how much rest she is getting, if she is eating food that will help her in school vs. hinder her, if she is wearing comfortable clothes. Nothing that she is shying away from, but I'm definitely more tuned-in to these things now. I hadn't planned on being that way, but I just want to be sure she is primed and receptive to learning as much as she can every day, without the distractions with which I can help / remove.
We switched up Ava's "dismissal" so she can ride the bus home (instead of going to ASP). It's adorable...she rides the bus home, gets off at the bus stop, and isn't too cool to hold her good old Mom's hand during the entire walk home. How I love holding her hand the entire way. :)
Another outgoing interaction Ava had with her schoolmates... I asked Ava if anyone had been called on to read out loud, or if she knew whether any of her classmates could read. She said yes, that she and two other friends are the only ones that can read in class. :) She is sounding out very simple books at this point, but has read a few books completely with a little help from Mom. I asked how she knew that her friends could read. She said, "I asked them." I was curious, so I said "How did you ask them?" She said "Hi, my name is Ava. Can you read?" It was too funny to hear her tell the story. She said "Most kids said 'No, no, no, no." That they couldn't read. She mentioned that her friend Riley (a boy) and Hannah (girl) could read.
I am so excited to see what this year has in store for Ava. She seems to have adapted beautifully to this exciting new change. The teacher sent home a nice picture of the class, all kids standing on the playground smiling.
Click on the link below to see a slide show of first week pictures, taken by the teachers:
http://murdock10.typepad.com/mckenzie/2011/08/our-first-week-of-school-1.html
Liam goes to the bus stop with Ava and me every school morning. He enjoys getting to see Matthew, our 7 year-old neighbor. I am excited that I get to now spend one-on-one time with Liam, after we see Ava off on the bus. Since Ava takes the bus so early, I've been able to do flash cards and read more books with Liam. I am hoping that he will learn to read earlier because I am able to work more with him. It made me realize how little one-on-one time I have had with Liam, because Ava has always been around. At first I think it took some getting used to for him (like he was missing out on something), but now I think he enjoys the time. He runs home from the bus stop every morning. :)
We just got a note from the school mentioning our bus will be arriving at 7:07 a.m. starting Friday. Boo. The bus comes at 7:20 now. :( We haven't missed the bus yet. I'm hoping we can keep up this winning streak! (Our neighbor Carine says the car pool lane is a NIGHTMARE at Murdock. :(.)
Here is a fun picture Ava drew before she started school. A self-portrait, complete with her backpack. :) She looks happy!
Peace, love and Mckenzie McIntoshes,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
This is a picture of Ava on her first day attending day care, June 26, 2006.
Fast forward five years. This is Ava's first day of school:
August 15, 2011.
I thought it very brave of her to want to take the bus to school. Such a big kid thing to do! I originally thought I would drive her for the first few weeks, so she could get used to one thing at a time. After talking it over with a few people, including my Mom, as well as going on a "trial run" (they offered the Friday before school started) on the bus with Ava myself, I decided I was okay with it... (I was most concerned with her learning things from older kids that might not be kindergarten-age appropriate). There were probably six kids that took the "trial run" bus ride, along with their parents. On the bus, they separate out the kids by grade on the bus (phew!), have assigned seating with the kindergarteners sitting up front, closest to the bus driver. Ava opted to sit right behind the bus driver when I rode with her. She says that's where she sits everyday, now. That first day, Ava hopped on the bus without hesitation. No tears, no frowns, no hesitation at all. I think I was the one with separation anxiety!
Doug and I watched her as she jumped on the bus for the first time, heading to "big kid school." Her bus driver, Mr. Mike, is actually the #1 Bus Driver in Cobb County. He has this huge 3 foot trophy at the front of the bus to prove it. He was #2 for four years running and finally became the #1 driver. I'm not sure if the bus drivers have a competition to decide this, or what? He says he hasn't ever had any kind of accident driving. (And obviously he knew exactly what to say to make this Momma feel better about the bus scenario....) Mr. Mike runs a tight ship / bus, so I felt better about Ava being under his watch.
Waiting at the bus stop with our neighbor, Matthew Quinn.
With confidence, I can say that Ava's day care attendance played a major role in her preparedness for this big day. The bus arrives at our bus stop at 7:20. So, we officially have earlier wake-up calls AND lights-out. I dreaded this at first, but am finding I get more done during the day with a few extra hours of useful time.
The first two days of school, Ava went to "ASP" (After School Program). I thought she would enjoy this, rather than coming home to relax. She decided she wanted to take the bus home on days that I don't go into the office (every other Monday and every other Thursday). So, on those days when I am in the office, she will go to ASP. She has been taking the bus home on all other days. I really enjoy being there when she gets off the bus and walking the short walk home with her, asking her about her day. She holds my hand and tells me all about her school day. She LOVES it. She is thriving.
When I picked her up after school the first day, she walked into the cafeteria to meet me at the After School Program desk / pick-up area. She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face as she walked toward me. It was too incredibly sweet. I leaned down and gave her the biggest of hugs.
She came home with the following letter from her teacher, which I loved. I appreciated that the teacher let parents know exactly what they did that day. :)
She took her lunch the first few days, as well as the required healthy afternoon snack. They eat lunch at 10:40 in the morning, so she is normally starving when she comes home from school. She couldn't find her lunch one day (LOL, her backpack isn't that huge!), so she decided to get the school lunch (for which I had pre-paid). I was so proud of her... if I were her, I think I would've been intimidated / too shy to go with a different lunch / process. Not Ava! She seems so confident and is comfortably embracing everything that comes her way, so far.
There is a system of behavior reward and correction in Mrs. McKenzie's kindergarten class. (Who, by the way, is TEACHER OF THE YEAR!) Everyone has an apple on a tree on the wall. Throughout the day, if you have exceptionally great behavior, the teacher will let you move your apple into the "sunshine" (at the top of the tree). If you had poor behavior, your apple can move down to the trunk, then (with more poor behavior) the apple can move down to the grass, from the grass to the dirt, from the dirt to the bucket (with each occurrence one movement down). The apple starts out in the tree (good area) at the start of every school day. Ava's apple has been in the SUNSHINE TWO DAYS during the first 7 days of school! (Other days her apple has been in the tree). Yesterday she mentioned she was the only one whose apple has been in the sunshine more than once. Go Ava!
She has a friend she enjoys sitting with on the bus. It's hilarious...she CAN'T remember her friend's name, but it sounds like her friend is Indian and has a very long name. A funny story... Whenever Ava gets on the bus, I notice a little Chinese girl looking at me through the window, as the bus drives away. I wondered if this little girl was Ava's friend / seatmate, of whom she talks daily. I asked Ava if her friend looks like "Kai-Lan" (from the t.v. cartoon "Ni-Hao Kai Lan"), knowing Ava might not be able to answer if she was Chinese. She said her friend didn't look like Kai Lan. The next day, Ava came home from school, telling me her bus friend is Indian. I asked how she knew her friend was Indian. She said she asked her "Are you Indian?" No beating around the bush there! Ha ha. Not that her ethnicity mattered a bit to me, I was just curious if the little Chinese girl who waves at me from the bus was the friend Ava often talks about. I did explain that to Ava, so she would understand I wasn't trying to be judgemental, just trying to see if her friend was the person looking out the window! :)
I am THAT Mom when Ava comes home. You know, the one with a million questions! What did you eat for lunch...Did you eat all of your lunch... Did you read any books in class... What book did you read... Did you make any new friends today...What are their names... Did you have any special classes today...Where was your apple today on the tree...Did you nap... Did your snack work out well...Did you find the Jolly Rancher I put in your lunch as a special treat for you...Do you have any homework...How was your bus friend's weekend...The list goes on. I want to know as much as possible about everything she experienced! :) Especially when I'm used to talking to her teachers directly at day care. Now I'm getting word from Ava. I'm also hyper-conscious now about how hydrated she is, how much rest she is getting, if she is eating food that will help her in school vs. hinder her, if she is wearing comfortable clothes. Nothing that she is shying away from, but I'm definitely more tuned-in to these things now. I hadn't planned on being that way, but I just want to be sure she is primed and receptive to learning as much as she can every day, without the distractions with which I can help / remove.
We switched up Ava's "dismissal" so she can ride the bus home (instead of going to ASP). It's adorable...she rides the bus home, gets off at the bus stop, and isn't too cool to hold her good old Mom's hand during the entire walk home. How I love holding her hand the entire way. :)
Another outgoing interaction Ava had with her schoolmates... I asked Ava if anyone had been called on to read out loud, or if she knew whether any of her classmates could read. She said yes, that she and two other friends are the only ones that can read in class. :) She is sounding out very simple books at this point, but has read a few books completely with a little help from Mom. I asked how she knew that her friends could read. She said, "I asked them." I was curious, so I said "How did you ask them?" She said "Hi, my name is Ava. Can you read?" It was too funny to hear her tell the story. She said "Most kids said 'No, no, no, no." That they couldn't read. She mentioned that her friend Riley (a boy) and Hannah (girl) could read.
I am so excited to see what this year has in store for Ava. She seems to have adapted beautifully to this exciting new change. The teacher sent home a nice picture of the class, all kids standing on the playground smiling.
The Murdock Elementary
2011 Kindergarten class of Mrs. Mckenzie:
Mckenzie McIntoshes (aka the apple orchard!)
Click on the link below to see a slide show of first week pictures, taken by the teachers:
http://murdock10.typepad.com/mckenzie/2011/08/our-first-week-of-school-1.html
Liam goes to the bus stop with Ava and me every school morning. He enjoys getting to see Matthew, our 7 year-old neighbor. I am excited that I get to now spend one-on-one time with Liam, after we see Ava off on the bus. Since Ava takes the bus so early, I've been able to do flash cards and read more books with Liam. I am hoping that he will learn to read earlier because I am able to work more with him. It made me realize how little one-on-one time I have had with Liam, because Ava has always been around. At first I think it took some getting used to for him (like he was missing out on something), but now I think he enjoys the time. He runs home from the bus stop every morning. :)
We just got a note from the school mentioning our bus will be arriving at 7:07 a.m. starting Friday. Boo. The bus comes at 7:20 now. :( We haven't missed the bus yet. I'm hoping we can keep up this winning streak! (Our neighbor Carine says the car pool lane is a NIGHTMARE at Murdock. :(.)
Here is a fun picture Ava drew before she started school. A self-portrait, complete with her backpack. :) She looks happy!
Peace, love and Mckenzie McIntoshes,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
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