First Day of Kindergarten
After a fitful sleep for a couple of us in our home, we woke up bright and early to get our son ready and off to his first day in kindergarten. Unfortunately, our son had a pretty busy weekend and was a bit run-down, which set him up for some sniffling and coughing last night and this morning. So we loaded him up with decongestant and cough medicine and headed out the door. No way we were gonna miss the first day of school!
As expected, there was lots of traffic and we regretted not leaving the house sooner. At the school, there was a huge mob of people and nowhere to park. We went in two cars, as Papa wanted to see him off on his first day too, so we barely got up to his line as the teacher started leading the kids to their classroom.
For most kids, I guess the first day of school can be a scary or intimidating experience. However, for our son, it was especially so, since today marked the first day of his education in Spanish. We enrolled him in a Two-Way Immersion Program, which for him means in Kindergarten and 1st grade, 90% of instruction is in Spanish, and 10% is in English. And up till this point, our son has learned pretty much NO Spanish. Truth be told, we'd love for him to be in a Mandarin bilingual program, but alas, no such program exists for miles around. So, Spanish it is.
My husband grew up speaking more than one language, and I have always wished that I were fluent in another language besides English. I've studied several languages, but never reached that point of really being biliterate or even bilingual. So, this is an opportunity that we are hoping our kids can have.
Our son did a fantastic job of bravely entering his class and we left him at the door. When I went to pick him up, he seemed happy and adjusted. It wasn't until we were eating lunch later that he told me that he'd cried after we left. I said, "Really? I didn't know that." And he told me the sweetest thing.
He said: "After you left I just started crying, and I kept telling myself that God is with me and that I could do it. That I could make it through the day. And it didn't work at first. The first time I said it, it didn't work, and the second time I said it, it still didn't work. Then finally the third time it worked!"
I'm so proud of him and think he is so brave. More significantly, I am so encouraged that he had the chance to apply the truths that he's been taught at Sunday School, VBS, here at home, and by many adults who've modeled this for him. It gives me hope! As a parent, I don't like my child to be uncomfortable or feel insecure, but as a follower of Jesus, I know that the greatest thing my child can learn is to trust that God is faithful and that he can talk to Him anytime. So, I'm thankful that this new experience is giving him a chance to learn that. But if you think of us, will you please pray for his adjustment, and that he will be able to express himself and be the kid that God has made him with his teacher and peers? Thanks! I'll keep you updated!
As expected, there was lots of traffic and we regretted not leaving the house sooner. At the school, there was a huge mob of people and nowhere to park. We went in two cars, as Papa wanted to see him off on his first day too, so we barely got up to his line as the teacher started leading the kids to their classroom.
For most kids, I guess the first day of school can be a scary or intimidating experience. However, for our son, it was especially so, since today marked the first day of his education in Spanish. We enrolled him in a Two-Way Immersion Program, which for him means in Kindergarten and 1st grade, 90% of instruction is in Spanish, and 10% is in English. And up till this point, our son has learned pretty much NO Spanish. Truth be told, we'd love for him to be in a Mandarin bilingual program, but alas, no such program exists for miles around. So, Spanish it is.
My husband grew up speaking more than one language, and I have always wished that I were fluent in another language besides English. I've studied several languages, but never reached that point of really being biliterate or even bilingual. So, this is an opportunity that we are hoping our kids can have.
Our son did a fantastic job of bravely entering his class and we left him at the door. When I went to pick him up, he seemed happy and adjusted. It wasn't until we were eating lunch later that he told me that he'd cried after we left. I said, "Really? I didn't know that." And he told me the sweetest thing.
He said: "After you left I just started crying, and I kept telling myself that God is with me and that I could do it. That I could make it through the day. And it didn't work at first. The first time I said it, it didn't work, and the second time I said it, it still didn't work. Then finally the third time it worked!"
I'm so proud of him and think he is so brave. More significantly, I am so encouraged that he had the chance to apply the truths that he's been taught at Sunday School, VBS, here at home, and by many adults who've modeled this for him. It gives me hope! As a parent, I don't like my child to be uncomfortable or feel insecure, but as a follower of Jesus, I know that the greatest thing my child can learn is to trust that God is faithful and that he can talk to Him anytime. So, I'm thankful that this new experience is giving him a chance to learn that. But if you think of us, will you please pray for his adjustment, and that he will be able to express himself and be the kid that God has made him with his teacher and peers? Thanks! I'll keep you updated!
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| Here's an idea I'm hoping to follow through on...to have your kid write their name on the first day of school, for subsequent years, then you can see how it changes along with them! |
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