Lucas started Kindergarten on September 5th. It’s hard to believe he’s been in school nearly four months already. Overall it is going great! It’s a long day, but he’s handling it and is happy to go each morning. Here’s a few things we’ve learned about Kindergarten from our observations and conversations with our big guy:
- Lucas’s favorite “subject” is recess. No surprise there! Is there any other answer for an elementary-aged boy? If so, I’ve never heard it.
- Lucas is popular with the ladies. He regularly comes home with hearts and cards and pictures from various admirers. I know my days are numbered, but for now, I’m happy to report that I’m still his best girl.
- Kindergarten is pretty academic nowadays. Lucas’s backpack is filled various worksheets he’s completed and he is reading and writing and doing all sorts of things that weren’t on my radar in Kindergarten. He seems developmentally ready for what they’re asking him to do, so that’s great! However, I get just as frustrated as he does when they miss recess because they’re busy with academics. I can always tell if he’s had recess or not when he gets home from school based on his mood.
- Lucas takes what he learns in school and puts it to good use at home. They recently had an engineering unit at school. When he and Jaime were experiencing some technical difficulties with snow bricks cracking and breaking while they were building a snow fort, Lucas assumed the role of teacher including a written message to all the “engineers” in the house, listing the problem that needed to be solved. Lucas’s solution was to figure out how Superman used his heat vision to seal the cracks in the Daily Planet building after a villain attack and use that technology to seal the cracks in our snow fort. We’re still working on it.
- Along with learning things at school, he’s trying to teach his classmates a thing or two. He came home in early December, horrified that none of the kids in his class realized it was still fall and that winter didn’t start until December 21. He told them but no one believed him. I heard him have the exact same conversation with our 10-year-old neighbor. When she disagreed with his pronouncement, he pulled out the calendar. I have to admit it was fun listening to her try to explain away the words “Winter Begins” written in bold, black letters on the 21st. I mentioned that his classmates were referring more to the winter weather and perhaps they didn’t pay as much attention to the actual dates of the winter solstice, but he dismissed my explanation and concluded that they just weren’t as smart as he is. We’re still working on the humility thing.
- Every day after lunch recess, the class has quiet time when the kids can rest, read, or draw. Lucas chooses to draw every day and has gone through a few distinct “periods”. The first several weeks of school he was drawing rainbows and cats. Then he entered into a list making phase. Next he started drawing pictures of our family every day. Currently he’s been making cards for Jaime and me. These creations are the my favorite thing to find in his backpack! (Bonus points to anyone who can read the letter
