Simon's Pre-K 1 month update

Simon has been in Pre-K for about a month. It has been a big month! 

This week has been a turning point in his attitude toward school. I think he has finally gotten used to the routine and knows what to expect. He has told us for most of the mornings this month that he does not want to go to school, but when it is time to leave school we practically have to drag him out of class since he is having so much fun playing.

On Monday, for the first time, before I could ask how his day was he looked at me and said 'Today was fun'.  He also volunteered things about his day at dinner that night which is wonderful. Usually it's like prying teeth to get him to us anything. Yesterday they played instruments at music class, sang 2 songs (bear hunt and the bop), and the lunch lady brought lunch up instead of kids going down to lunch.

For the first few weeks he would dread gym, I was so surprised since he is so sporty. This morning he was telling me how he loved gym because he ran races and got to be so fast. He talks to all the teachers as we walk into school in the mornings. And in the afternoons when I come pick him up he is playing kick ball, running races or playing football with other kids.

School Information: 

• There are 20 kids in the class and 3 teachers. 
• Ms Zairel is the main pre-school teacher, Ms Walker, Ms Rameriez, Ms Roshea are assistant teachers.
• They write in a journal every day and put the page in a 3 ring binder. The binder stays at school, but you can look at it if you go pick him up or drop him off.
• In the morning he has started writing his name every day as part of morning routine. Every kid is at a different level, they start with first name in all caps, then full name in all caps, then first name in upper/lower case and finally full name in upper/lower case. Simon is working on SIMON. He has even asked to practice on the little white board we set up for him. 
• Have gym 4 days a week (Wednesdays they have library instead)
• This year, each person in the class has art twice a week. On Mondays, half of the class goes to art while the other half attends music class. Then, the groups flip flop on Fridays. On Wednesdays, the whole class joins in on the fun in art class. 
• They do a letter a week. First week A, then B, etc. This week is D.
• Simon has started making letter noises and asking us what letter it is then saying: 'That's Right! Good Job!' when we get it right.
• Simon usually eats breakfast at home and then has second breakfast at school. He always eats school lunch. 
• I see him playing most frequently with a boy named Calvin when I pick him up, though he talks about a few other 'friends' as well.
• The teacher tells me he always has a good day. In the whole month he has been very consistent with his attitude, in a good way! 
• He has become much more independent at home due to the enforced independence of being in a classroom. 
• He goes to the bathroom by himself with no complaints now (though he still wakes us up in the middle of the night so he can get tucked back in). 
• He can put on his own jacket by laying it out on the floor and flipping it up. 
• He is generally more confident about his ability to do things on his own and try rather than having to always be encouraged to do things.
• Ms Zairel takes pictures throughout the day and writes a parents-only blog to keep us updated on the goings on during the week.
• We usually drop him off at 7:45 and pick him up around 4:30, so he is in school for almost 9 hours a day.
• He has started napping for about an hour in the afternoons during school, Ms Walker touches his head until he falls asleep. How he conned her into doing that I do not know, but it doesn't surprise me. 

Random pictures from school below...

Sitting in library, listening to a story.

Identifying his shoes.

Dancing!

Trying to find an Anchor to put things that start with A in an A box.

Admiring his heart face paint.

Listening in Library

Practicing with scissors 

They did an apple tasting test and everyone chose which they liked best: Red, Green or Yellow apples.
Later that week they also tried juicing and tasted the apple juice.

Doing 'hurrah!' for the Ants Go Marching One by One song.

Playing with the large blocks and cars.

They practice making letters first with curve and straight blocks.

They do a lot of sensory work. This is malleable foam.

Simon playing with Jack. (Jack is the oldest kid in class, Simon is one of the youngest)

Still loving his face painting.

B for Bell

In Dance Class.

This is Simon's tree.

Writing his name.

I came and read to the class during library.

Bus evacuation drill

Reading in the library.

Reading in the classroom.

Everyone is drawing, Simon is being the teacher with the pointer.

Playing in the grass.

They are making a big box into a rocket ship.
After making windows they painted and decorated it.

This is the trees that the class made (half of them). Simon's is on the far left.