His Preschool Debut!

Austin has officially started preschool and is ready to take on the world! We were so excited about this new school he is attending this year. For the past year and half he had attended a Traditional mothers day out program at a local church and I think it was the perfect thing for him. It was causal, got him used to being away from me and allowed him to be able to grow on his own a bit. Well last spring I started checking out other “preschools” in the area to see what was out there that might challenge him a bit. We are blessed to live in a great area with really great preschools around us---many Montessori schools, arts schools, and schools like the one we chose for him, called Discovery School.


As soon as I read the website, I knew it was incredible and really wanted him to be able to attend…but I knew it would be A LOT for us to swing financially. I told Shea about it, he took a day off work so we could go and tour it together, and he didn't hesitate a second after he saw it. We started on the paperwork immediately ( its very tough to get in some of these preschools, there are waiting lists for many of them—so we signed up last spring because they were opening up ANOTHER 3 yr old class.)


This is some of the the stuff about discovery school that sold us so quickly:
Our Philosophy

Discovery School's objective is to provide positive "hands-on" learning experiences that foster spiritual, intellectual, social and physical development in preschool children.


Specifically, we offer:

• Active exploration that promotes meaningful growth in math and literacy concepts.
  
  
• Experiences with real materials that encourage relevant learning and usable knowledge.
  
  
• Opportunities to learn self-regulation and self-reliance.
  
  
• Growth in self worth through the development of social skills and repeated opportunities to be successful.
  
  
• Growth in the Christian faith.

Curriculum Research has shown that children learn best when they are actively engaged in the process. The classrooms at Discovery School are set up to create active hands-on learning experiences for children and our environment is prepared to allow children daily opportunities to select activities from a variety of learning areas. These areas included dramatic play, blocks, science and math, manipulatives, art and music, reading and listening, writing, and sand and water. 
Three Year Old Classes     In our three year old classes, childrern will begin to recognize and write upper case alphabet letters, name recognition, rhyming words, letter sounds, number recognition and simple counting skills through the use of Handwriting Without Tears, and HighScope's Growing Readers and Numbers Plus curriculums. The children will also experience Science, Social Studies, and cooking activities.

• Participate actively in a daily Bible time
  
• Enjoy a daily time of physical creative movement during which they learn music appreciation and experience large and small motor skill activities through a variety of mediums. 

Beginning with our three year old classes, children also experience:

• Spanish time one day a week
  
• Computers in the classroom 
  
• Weekly Chapel time

Honestly Shea really felt strong about Austin attending, so we worked on the budget and found ways that we could cut here and there to make it possible. ( if even by the skin on our teeth AND Shea working a lot of overtime.) 

So….this is where we took our little boy last week as he started his first day. The first week they only went 1/2 days to help the kids get used to everything. Beginning this week he is in school Tues, Wed and Thurs. from 9am-2pm. 

We attended a teacher conference where he got to see his room and meet his teacher and he got really excited about starting. There are 3 classes of 3 year olds, with 2 having 16 kids/2 teachers and one having 8 kids/1 teacher. Austin is in the smaller class which I really like. Funny thing is—in his class there is only 2 girls. In the other classes with 16 kids each, there is 3 girls in one and 4 in the other….interesting, huh!
 
He went right in, found his circle seat with his name and picture that represents his name, and sat right down!

This is his "cubby" where his lunch box goes. Every cubby has a picture of the child's family--Austin has one of him and Shea on the dirt bike and another of ALL of us the night Lexi was born.

Playing as he waits for pick-up!

We get a progress report email each week letting us know what they covered that week ( and we also see a sign posted out each day of what they covered THAT day so you can talk with your child about it!)
Last week he learned things like how to use markers properly, how to get his own snack and clean up after himself, and how to pick his “centers” each day. Every day i picked him up he said “ mom—that was soo fun!” I am  anxious to see how this week goes with it being more like a full day for him---we are praying that he is challenged and begins to learn so many of the things that will be stepping stones for him as he continues on with school.

I am anxious to see what he learns in Spanish class and also dreading the day he comes home and wants to play on MY computer!

Austin and Miss Dawn, his teacher.

And of course have to have one of baby sister on Big Brothers first day of school!