Wow... summer went by so quicky...but felt so...meaningful. And to everything, turn, turn, turn... it is now time for another amazing school year!
...And even though you may have (a little or a lot bit) not fully wanted summer to end (I mean, who does?), y'all were ready for school!
We feel so thankful to WRM for putting yours and Mama's safety first, as Covid continues to be a jerk out there. So, yes, there are masks, and you are still in separate, smaller pods, but you get to be with friends again! and have structure again! and do works and projects and have lunches and play time and forest school again!
So...buckle up...here we go...it's time for FIFTH GRADE and THIRD GRADE for Aidan and Julia!
I cannot believe that another sweet summer is over and another school year is here. Of course, you two grow day-in day-out and hit milestones continuously, but the first day of school- the official start of being one year and one grade older - is legit. It's bittersweet and amazing. As we send you two incredible young people off to White Rock Montessori for another year of growth and learning and friends and PB&Js and field trips and skinned knees and hard work, your mother and I just marvel in amazement at the incredible people you are and how much you continue to evolve and change and mature.
After a summer of reading BONE together, it seemed only fitting for the two of you to be greeted by the Bone cousins in your lunchboxes!
Aside from naming as your favorite, a movie which hasn't come out yet (Wreck-it Ralph Breaks the Internet...great marketing Disney), Aidan you have been pretty future-centric.
You're excited about 2nd grade, and hope you get to do the Metal Insets. (spoiler alert- you have already proudly brought home some metal inset works!) You tell us that when you're in 3rd grade, for graduation, you get a ROCK and a BOOK. You tell us that a lot; that means you must be really looking forward to that rock!
You are sweet, and sensitive, and getting so much better about sharing and regulating your emotions with us and those around you.
You worked really hard over the summer on your writing, reading, and object-addition skills, and we are so proud.
Your teacher, Miss Gwyn, was super excited to have you back this year. She already shared a funny moment with mommy. She often refers to her students as "Brother Bear" or "Sister Bear," and she was taken aback and touched when out of the blue on the playground you told her "Come on, Mama Bear!"
Julia, my big kindergartner, you are a high-achiever, a funny person, creative, driven and sharp!
You worked really hard over the summer on your cursive and reading (chapter books!).
You are a sweetheart, and you have great kindness and compassion in you.
On day 2 of school you fell and scraped your knee pretty badly. On day 3 you banged the same knee again and got pretty bloodied. Miss Mary took great care of you and remarked to Mommy how TOUGH you are!
She also told Mommy at the end of your first week how grateful she is that you're in her class. She says that you are a natural leader and willingly and excitedly work with the younger kids and show them the ropes, leading them through their new Montessori environments.
The two of you together are a super team. You wrestle, you work together, you get into each other's imaginations and games, you fight, you make up, you giggle. You are a fantastic bro-and-sis duo, and as you continue to grow through 2nd grade and Kindergarten and grow your social networks beyond each other, never forget that you're a team of truly awesome kids- and that your bro-sis bond can never be broken.
We bought place-mats and napkins for school lunch...
and we got in bed early...
That's right...It's the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
Time keeps on ticking, and Aidan and Julia, the two of you keep growing up before our very eyes!
As the first day approached, the two of you were very excited.
Julia, you are so psyched to be a "full day lunch kid"- that's right: you are in full-day Pre-K with Mr. Lewicki and Ms. Mary! You are a brilliant, smart, clever, adventurous, busy-busy, curious young lady with maturity (sometimes) far beyond your years. In many ways, it's hard to believe you're only in Pre-k. But, it is the right place for you to build and grow and continue to learn. And you are just going to nail it!
Aidan, you are 'moving up' to Lower Elementary 2! New teachers (Ms. Bell and Ms. Gwynn), new friends to make, new class room, new experiences to have. You are also excited about...the girls! You're a bit girl crazy right now, and you're also very excited about going back to "school school." You also are very sweet toward your reading teacher, Ms. Newman, and have verbally told us many times that you're looking forward to working with her. You are a sweet, emotional, true, innocent, exciting, talkative, creative, pugnacious, strong, and resilient young man. You've come so far already, and we are so excited about this big step forward in your development!
But enough of my analysis, let's hear from the two of you directly to give you a snapshot of who you both were going into the 2017 school year, and shining a light on to who you've become as you're reading this.
As you may remember, I annoy you guys once a year with these questions to make some sort of time capsule for you on the first day of school. Here were your answers in 2016. And here are your answers this year:
Julia Sekina Weinstein
Grade: Full day Pre-K
Class: PS2; Mr. Lewicki and Ms. Mary
Favorite Book: 'Princess and the Pony' (aka 'Princess Fart' <second year in a row!>); 'My Big Pink Fairy Book'; 'Pat the Bunny'; 'Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast'
Favorite Movie: 'Frozen' (yes...still); and 'Moana' Favorite Song: 'Tripping Down The Freeway' (by Weezer); "Number Seven from Moana" (Track 7 is "You're Welcome"); and "Let it Go" from Frozen (yes...still) Favorite Food: Candy! and Pepperoni Pizza <second year in a row>! Favorite TV show: Bubble Guppies <second year in a row...and that's odd because you guys rarely watch it>; "Hello Kitty...if we can ever find it" <there is, to my knowledge, no Hello Kitty TV Show!> Favorite Toy: "All of them ... and sparkly stuff...and the Maui toy I got from the Easter Bunny...and stuffed animals and my pink bunny and Tucker my dog...and my Indian scarf and Mia, my baby doll." Favorite Activity: "I like to sew! I like dressing up! I like jumping. I like riding my bike and I like listening to stories." Also.. " I like going to the dentist and following mommy's and daddy's rules so I can stay healthy. I like staying healthy." What I want to learn this year: "I want to go to Ms. Bell's class and work harder and not get in trouble and do what my teachers say." also... "I'm excited for my mom to teach art." Friends you're looking forward to seeing: Ella G and Ella K and Natalia and Tara and Korah and Kara What I will do when I grow up: "I will find bone and paint nails and have fun!" When I Grow Up I want to be: An Archaeologist!
And now about you, young sir, Aidan-- our BIG FIRST grader!
Aidan Powell Weinstein
Grade: First grade
Class: LE2; Ms. Bell and Ms. Gwynn
Favorite Book: "Where the Wild Things Are"
Favorite Movie: 'Storks' ("Because this guy is smelling the baby's tush") and 'A Bug's Life' Favorite Song: 'And in the End' (by The Beatles); "Clint Eastwood" (by the Gorillaz); "Trolls" and "Handlebars" Favorite Food: Fish! Salmon Sushi! "And Toast! And Water" Favorite TV show: "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" Favorite Toy: "My Huggy" (a little white teddy bear) & "Legos!" ("Dad look I'm in a Lego spell..." Favorite Activity: "Watch a movie every day." "I like smiley faces. I don't like mean faces." What I want to learn this year: "I hope I'm going to learn about puppies" and "Science and I hope I'm going to be in LE1" and "Art with Mama!" Friends you're looking forward to seeing: Leo and Daddy- "I still love you buy you're not my friend friend." - Collin and Ella K. "And my girlfriend Tara." When I Grow Up I want to be: "Baby Groot...with Groot Power!" (you also have been talking about being a "Marine Biologist" and "Sonic the Hedgehog" and "Sonic the Hedgehog police officer.") What I will do when I grow up: "Get flies and eat them."
Joining you guys for a first day of school is your NEW art teacher: Miss Holly!
That's right, Mama is a new full time art teacher at your amazing school. She is such a good mama and a fantastic teacher; I know two of her students who have already given her rave reviews!
We are so proud of both of you! There will be challenges ahead, there will be successes and set backs, and tears and laughter, and lunches and late nights, and friends and fun. It will be an amazing school year for both of you. You walked into school with your spirits high and your heads held high.
You are amazing young people and have learned so much already. We are so excited to be on this journey with you!
I can't believe it's your first day of school! Again (for you Aidan)... First time (for you Julia!). And how cool is it that the two of you get to be in the same classroom at White Rock Montessori!
Driving to school on the first day!
What kind of kids ask "is it fall yet?"; "is it a fall day?"; "can we go to school tomorrow?" during the summer? Well, I'll give you their details below!
Julia Sekina Weinstein
Grade: Pre-K
Class: PS2; Mr. Lewicki and Ms. Mary
How very excited you are to go to school! You even cheer waking up early! It really did help that you visited the class about once or twice per week last year while mommy was teaching art and that Mr. Lewicki and Ms. Mary let you join the class with open arms! You were already an old pro! The first day you did do the frog work that you said you were going to do. And you did the WHOLE work. That's supposed to take like weeks or something! Mr. Lewicki let us know that you were a hoot! And that he was going to buy a real frog or fish to keep you excited about these lessons!
You could not wait to go! And every subsequent day this week you wanted to take pictures with signs! One day you hurt your arm and had to stay home (more on that later); to say you were upset would be an understatement. But you were back again today, and SO excited.
Here's a little bit about you, on the eve of your FIRST DAY at school!
Favorite Book: 'Frozen with Elsa who spins around'; 'My Hello Kitty Book that came with my Hello Kitty dress'; 'Princess and the Pony' (aka 'Princess Fart')
Favorite Song: 'Let it Go'; 'Big Hero 6' (aka 'Immortals' by Fall Out Boy); 'Handclap'; 'Exes & Ohs'; 'Spirits in my head and it won't go' ('Spirits' by the Strumbellas'
Favorite TV show: Bubble Guppies; Shimmer and Shine
Favorite Toy: My Little Mermaid Doll..and Rapunzel...and Tinkerbell (I believe you're talking about Barbies)
What I want to learn this year: "I just like doing the frog work over and over, but it's at school.'
Friends you're looking forward to seeing: Carolyn, Max, Michael
What I will do when I grow up: "I will cook with mommy and go to work with Daddy!"
When I Grow Up I want to be: Wonderwoman! Update: "A Chef!"
Aidan Powell Weinstein
Grade: Kindergarten (mastery)
Class: PS2; Mr. Lewicki and Ms. Mary
Mr. Aidan, you are now the big man on campus! You are entering 2016 Kindergarten with so many tools in your arsenal to help you succeed! We all now know so much about what makes you tick and how we can help you process information, whether it be sensory, receptive or expressive language, or auditory. You go to SPOTS and BLISS and these tool have helped you grow so much! You are reading and regulating emotions, and understanding more and so primed and ready to have a killer successful year. It's not just your Mom and Dad (us) who are excited for the things to come: You were excited to go to school too! And although you weren't ask thrilled to wake up early, like Julia ("why did you wake me up? I was still sleepy!"), you were so excited to go to school, help mommy with Teddy and play and learn with your friends.
You are a thoughtful, sweet, caring, beautiful, smart boy with a wonderful creativity and knack for telling stories. You love to sing and explore nature and read and play. You are truly ready to master kindergarten, and we are so, so proud of you!
Here's a little bit about you, on the eve of your FIRST DAY at school!
Favorite Book: 'Captain Finn and the Pirate Dinosaurs'
Favorite Movie: 'Toy Story'
Favorite Song: 'Somewhere out there' (you've also been loving 'Somewhere over the rainbow')
Favorite Food: "Vitamins...and sticks." (okay, i'll take your word for it! But you also do love mango, salmon sushi, artichoke pizza, and any type of bread)
Favorite TV show: "Tweety & Sylvester" and "Elena of Avalor." You have also been into Lego's Nexo Knights!
Favorite Toy: LEGOS!
What I want to learn this year: "The blocks with the trays...and books. I like reading at the little library!"
Friends you're looking forward to seeing: Baz, Max, and Carolyn
What I will do when I grow up: "I will go to work with Daddy and Julia!"
When I Grow Up I want to be: Darkseid! "I want to rule the universe; but i will be nice to everyone" <this answer changes almost daily, but as of the first day of school you, this is what you wanted to be> Update: "An inventor...so I can invent mega-bots!"
It's been such a remarkable summer of growth for both of you, and you are growing up to be such wonderful, kind, wise, hilarious, children. We are so proud of you both, and so in love with you both. And we are so excited for the adventures you will have this year and beyond...
But don't take my word for it: You both weren't afraid of nothin' as we went to your first day of school:
The official shot, complete with a cast for Julia and a mouthful of vitamins for Aidan!
Posts
