Kindergarten Graduation

 I think most mothers hope and pray that their child will have an amazing first year of school.  Kindergarten sets the tone for one's educational experience, and really leaves a strong impression on these little ones. Chase takes a long time to warm up to new people and situations, and I was understandably nervous as he started the new school year. Chase is such a  sweet boy, and it was hard for me to be without him each morning, even if he was only gone for three hours.  He is not the stereotypical boy - he loves cuddles, and being close to Mom.  He is calm, loving, and polite. He absolutely loved being with me, and was such a good helper.  As excited as I was to watch him embark on this new adventure, it was really hard watching my sweet boy venture out into the world alone.  Thankfully, Chase ended up having an amazing kindergarten year.  It exceeded my expectations, and was everything I could have hoped for.

Chase started Kindergarten with speech delays, which also meant he struggled with letter sounds and reading.  He was also very shy and apprehensive to start a new school.  Luckily, Chase's teacher Mrs. Bell was AMAZING.  She is honestly one of the best teachers I have ever encountered.  The love she had for Chase was everything a parent could hope for. When he went to school I knew he was in caring hands. I was able to volunteer in the class every other week, and I'm so thankful I had that opportunity. It was so fun watching him grow and learn, and I loved watching his teacher.  She loved her job, and had such fun activities.  For thanksgiving she had a huge thanksgiving feast.  For St. Patricks day they made a leprechaun trap. The kids were so excited to come to school to see if their trap worked. The leprechaun messed up their classroom and left a gold coin for everyone.  The kid's excited expressions were priceless. She incubated and hatched eggs in the classroom, and also grew butterflies.  She taught them songs about life - about love, forgiveness, and kindness.   The list goes on and on.  Mrs. Bell wasn't the only wonderful teacher at school. He also went to speech therapy as well as an after school reading program, and both of those teachers were also amazing and kind.  They constantly told me how much they loved working with Chase, and that he was such a sweet student. We were really lucky that he had so many wonderful teachers who genuinely cared about him and wanted to help him succeed. His kindergarten wasn't academically astonishing, but it was perfect for him.  By the end of the year he was ahead of where he needed to be. He LOVED school and was thriving.  He was excited to go everyday, and never once complained about anything he had to do.  I am so thankful for the wonderful Kindergarten year he had.