Goodbye Kindergarten! Hello First Grade!
After a wonderful year in Mrs. Hayden/Ms. Cux class, Olivia ended the year on a high with a class party, early release, and an afternoon with mamma at the office. The kids were also relieved of their obligation to wear uniforms and had spirit days the entire last week which she took full advantage of!
When I think back to the nerves we all had before the first day, I can't believe how much she's grown.
She walked into that classroom summoning all the courage she could but still cried at the thought of us leaving. We also attended an event on the first Friday of school at a local trampoline park, which we ended up leaving early because she literally had no friends to play with. I remember coming home, texting my best friend and having a mini-breakdown on how to get her assimilated into the school. And Kate, as she so often has done for me, talked me off the ledge and reminded me it wasn't my job to orchestrate friendships, that we all made friends on our own, and that Olivia would do the same. And....she was right. Olivia has made some great friends this year.
I volunteered to help host the End of Year Party. We did a luau themed party and all the kids were thrilled with their basket of loot and popsicles.
Unfortunately, the rain put a damper on the time outside, but their sweet teachers hurried the kids inside, turned on some music and these little ones danced to their heart's content - mostly the "Floss" - the latest viral trend sweeping the internet that this very uncool mamma didn't even know about until Olivia told me!
Because she was released from school at 10:45 am and Matt was out of town, I decided to just take her to work with me for the rest of the afternoon. She was SO excited about it. Just like I used to love doing at my dad's work, Olivia was thrilled to write on my white board. She also raided the supply closet and got set up with pads/paper/highlighters/correction tape/and tabs.
A hugely special delivery came for her from my above mentioned BFF, Kate.
We also went to the tunnels for some Chic Fila for lunch
And then, I guess this little one was physically and emotionally exhausted because after a stern talking to in the bathroom about how this was an office and she needed to calm down and let me work, I looked back to find her like this:
But I get it. She worked hard this year. She was in a new school, with new friends, new teachers and new experiences. She stepped outside of her comfort zone time and time again. And she did it while also learning how to be a big sister and share her parents with a new little brother. I am so grateful for this school and all that it taught Olivia. This year she learned how to be a friend, a leader and a thinker. She grew leaps and bounds in reading and writing; her aptitude for art and music developed ten-fold; and she soaked up the lessons from her teachers/principals on personal responsibility, kindness, empathy, and flexibility. This school and the teachers really nurtured Olivia and met her on her level - they never pushed her, never made her feel uncomfortable but rather just encouraged her to take chances academically and socially. She was sad to leave her friends and her beloved teachers, but this girl is ready for 1st grade. I know there will be some butterflies before the first day but we also know she will be fine!
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