Things here on the blog have been pretty Dash-centric lately, but I have to note the end of an era for Mabel. And for me. For all of us, really.
Mabel’s school year has finished. She’s done with nursery school for ever. She’s a rising kindergartener now, as they say in these parts.
First day ever, three years ago
The nursery school is a co-op, which means all the parents help to run it. Or at least, we have a board and we all pitch in, but really it’s run by the very effective director and the administrator, without whom the whole place would be nothing. But when we decided seven years ago to send Dash there, it turned out to be a decision that would long resonate as a good one.
Last day I was in the classroom
I don’t doubt the children would both have got perfectly adequate preschool educations in many other places. But joining our co-op gave us a community, a place to belong right in the centre of the town (the school is located in the Community Center), physically and metaphorically. It also gave them a lovely play-based preschool education that I probably didn’t even understand about back when I chose it with no research further than asking my local friends and visiting on open day.
Showing me the fish
So the week before last I helped in the classroom for the last time, last week I attended my last board meeting, Mabel had her little performance and graduation ceremony, she had her last “water day”, and this weekend I did my last ever cleaning shift for the school, as we cleaned it out preparatory for the summer.
I asked her to pose and this is what I got (she’s dressed for water day, when they all get very wet)
When their teacher described them as “The class of 2027″ on Tuesday, it did give me pause for a moment, and on Sunday I won’t say I left the place for the last time without a backward glance; but it’s time to move on.
Onward and upward, Little Miss Contrary
It’s always bittersweet when they move on. Onwards and upwards I say!
Aw,exciting but must be hard to see her grow up all the same.I love the sense of community that exists in the States.Seems something that happens naturally,not like here where it often feels forced or not at all.
I think it’s because people move around more here, so communities tend to be more open to including new people. Then again, we have been in this area almost 8 years now…