Hellobee

We had a big day this past week: Snowy graduated from Pre-K, had her last day at her current daycare/pre-K, and had kindergarten screening, all in the same day!

Snowy started this Pre-K in late September, and she’s had a great school year there. We went with a private daycare center with full-day care for infants through pre-K and a school age program. Since it’s only 11 minutes from our home but out of the public school district Snowy will attend, we knew it would be her only year here. She had the same lead teacher the whole year, and she was amazingly patient and kind. Snowy loves her and we are definitely going to miss her. Snowy made a lot of friends in her class as well.

Since I am staying home this summer, and my last day was the Friday before Memorial day, I decided to send her two days this past week. Tuesday was her last day of karate at her center, and both days they had graduation practice. On Wednesday, I picked her up right after lunch, and we headed straight to kindergarten screening!

When it came to Kindergarten Screening, I had no idea what to expect. The last kindergarten screening I’ve been to was my own, and I almost didn’t get in because I couldn’t skip! I’ve worked in the education field for years, but never experienced this side of it.

We got there late because we got lost on the way from her daycare. I’d been to the school before, but not coming from the town her daycare is in. Our area is extremely rural, and her school is out in the middle of nowhere!

Proof of residency to even get Snowy into kindergarten was a challenge. I thought my driver’s license, which has our current address on it, would be enough, but apparently you can put any address you want on a driver’s license (at least in Ohio, according to the school’s secretary). Since we are living with Snowy’s mother-in-law, we needed a notarized letter from Snowy’s MIL that says we live with her, plus a utility bill in her name.

Immediately after we got there, the teacher who greeted us separated Snowy and me. They took Snowy down to screening, where she did a number of academic tasks: sight words, letters, and I’m not sure quite what else because Snowy is an unreliable narrator and couldn’t tell me everything she did.

At first, it was nerve-wracking to find out that Snowy was going to the screening portion without me, especially since I wasn’t expecting it. But I probably should get used to it: she’s going to kindergarten without me soon! And even though she’s gone to daycare since she was 1, this feels like a big transition to me. I’m sure it will be  on way harder on me than her!

While Snowy was at screening, there was a parent informational meeting from several of the teachers.

First, they introduced PBIS, Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support, which is a behavioral system that is used nationally at many schools. Everything connects to the school’s values: responsible, respectful, and safe.

Then, they did the ABCs of Kindergarten, “everything you want to know about kindergarten and more.” I have to admit, it was overwhelming, especially when they talked about how academically strenuous and fast-paced kindergarten is.

They walked us through their curriculum. The part that made me most nervous was talking about the reading and writing component. They said by the end of the year the kids would be reading and writing short paragraphs, and I know Snowy isn’t there yet, and that she gets really frustrated when she can’t do something right away (something we are working on with her!). Still, the teachers reassured us that every kid in the class will be coming from a different place.

I am most excited for their inquiry-based science, and a weekly STEM computer class that they’re just starting this year. Snowy is my little scientist, so I’m sure she will love it!

At the end, we got a bunch of paperwork, including a picture day form and school calendar, and invitation back to Back to School Day and Open House before school begins. And then our kids came back and were rewarded with suckers for their hard work.

I’m excited for Snowy to start kindergarten, but also a little nervous. And I know Snowy is the same way! She told me before screening that she was nervous, though the teacher screening her said she did a great job and knew a lot.

Then, a few hours later, our big girl was graduating from Pre-K! My dad drove down from MI to attend the ceremony, along with Mr. Snowflake, MIL Snowflake, and myself.

The graduation had a maps/adventure theme, which was subtle but very well done. Snowy’s class was about 20 kids, and this night was only her class graduating, but the “big room” of the center, where they held the ceremony, was packed. Luckily, I was able to snag one of the last seats.

The ceremony was very short, shorter than I was expecting (but it was perfectly fine this way: short and sweet!). A teacher  introduced the kids, the kids sang 3 songs, then reached behind their backs and picked up blue folded construction paper fake diplomas and said “we did it!” And that was it. Cookies and punch followed, and the kids got a bag full of stuff including their real diplomas and a memory box gift.

Here’s the requisite blurry “my kid on the stage zoomed way in to block out the crowd of people in front of me” photo: I love her smile and wave here!

And here she is with Papa Snowflake (my dad!) at the photo booth her teachers made after the ceremony:

I  can’t say how much how wonderful Snowy’s center was, and how much we are going to miss them. But after this summer together, Snowy will be off to her biggest adventure yet: kindergarten!

If you have a big kid, what were kindergarten screening and your child’s preschool/pre-K graduation like?