In August if you were to tell me that we’d be celebrating Bailey’s last day of Pre-K at home as a family of 5 doing homeschool, I would think you were delusional. If we’ve learned anything over this past year – anything is possible.
The last day of Pre-K is supposed to be full of joy and tears (for Moms at least). Your baby is moving on to a new adventure in Kindergarten and you have a whole summer of lazy pool days ahead of you. You say goodbye to friends, teachers and staff, wishing them all well with promises to get together soon. You have a backpack full of memories and artwork gathered over the course of the year.
Today looks like this: a cluttered family room with legos and crayons scattering the floor, baby brother in a swing and a virtual classroom broadcast over the TV with pre-made lessons from the hardworking teachers forced to adapt quickly to school abruptly closing its doors. Mom and Dad are the teacher assistants these days and your siblings are your class mates. Everyone is tired and cranky from not getting a full night’s rest and there are Pop Tarts and breakfast casseroles left half eaten on the table.
We’ve traded end of year field trips with virtual ones and our artwork from the year was delivered to us in paper sacks from the school’s staff wearing masks and gloves to our car. We did bake cookies to thank the wonderful staff and teachers at Heartland and waved from the sunroof, but we miss the days where hugs from our friends and teachers were the norm. This year may have ended unexpectedly and rough, but we’ve learned how resilient we can be and that we are stronger together as a family.
Homeschool
I thought about homeschooling Bailey when she was little, but I knew I was not cut out to be a full time teacher – nor did I have the patience to teach. I grew up in the public school system and value the education and socialization I recieved during my time at school. I loved going to school and learning, playing with friends and finding myself. I want my children to experience education the same way. After being forced into a homeschool situation for the past few months, I’ve realized how important going to school actually is.
I’m not saying we haven’t enjoyed navigating this learning journey together, but there is something to be said for going to school and interacting with others that you just can’t replicate at home. The structure and routine is missing as well as the focus. It’s hard to concentrate at home with everyone on top of each other and with a new baby – not only for me, but for the girls as well.
I have really enjoyed watching Bailey learn and discovering new tools to teach her at home. With the online platform, the other grade levels were available to view so we started working on Kindergarten learning and Bailey has loved it. Sienna has really gotten involved too so it has become a family affair. From addition and subtraction to animal habitats and maps, we are going to be continuing to do some sort of school work throughout the summer. We even started a journal at the beginning of the quarantine full of drawings and school work so we can look back on this time later.
Thinking Outside the Box
One thing we learned this year was when it came to homeschooling, the girls love to be hands on. Whether that means including other toys or taking the lesson outside, the more involved we got, the better we did. We are fortunate to live near so many parks and trails. We got to see a lot of animals and insects up close, plant vegetables, herbs and flowers and discover the world around us. We also turned household chores into learning activities – we separated laundry into categories, we measured and baked a lot of goodies and took care of the plants and animals around us.
Classroom Fun
It may seem like the last quarter spanned the entire year but we were fortunate to get 3/4 of the year in class with our friends and teachers. Bailey absolutely loved having Ms. Kristi as her teacher this year. She was in class with all the same kids from last year along with a few new faces so she felt comfortable from the start. She was also excited to see Miss Courtney a few times because Ms. Kristi is her mama so she came over a few times to see everyone. It’s been hard not seeing her friends everyday and we will all be split up next year, but it was wonderful seeing her develop friendships and hear all about them every day.
Valentine’s Day Party
The last party we got to share together was the Valentine’s Day Party. Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday so I love to celebrate. This year I was a little off my game because I was uber pregnant with Hunter and I had just fallen down the stairs and was in a walking boot but I was still fortunate enough to spend the day with my girl.
Holiday Party and Sharing Traditions
I was fortunate to spend not one day, but two over the holidays in class with Bailey. We shared one of our favorite holiday traditions – making and decorating homemade gingerbread men. Then later that week I got to come back for the holiday party and we played games, ate lots of sugar and visited with friends and family.
Halloween Party
Halloween is always a hectic time – what could go wrong with all the hype and extra sugar all throughout the day. This year, we added in a snow storm and a full moon and things were crazy. It was a whirlwind of sugar but we always love sharing our costumes with our friends – and I even got to dress up for class too!
Health Fair
One of the things I love most about the Olathe School District and Heartland is that they love to get the entire family involved with the school. We love to visit after hours and attend the festivals and parties they throw. One of our favorites was the health fair – especially because they got to paint their faces!
Pre-K Fashion
Bailey has always been a little fashionista and she has developed her own style. She loves being fancy, mixing patterns and having fun with her outfits. We let her choose her outfit everyday and only had to send her back to her room a few times for a change when they were too outrageous. Sienna, not to be outdone, had to make sure that she expressed herself with her style for pick up.
I hope we will be able to return to school in the fall in some form. I’m not sure how that will look and I am not going to spend my days worrying about it. If this year has taught us one thing, it is to be flexible and take it one day at a time. We’re going to enjoy all of this extra family time right now and make the best of this post COVID-19 life. Next year, Bailey will be a Kindergartner at Northview and Sienna will start preschool at Heartland – slow down girls, you’re growing too fast!
We are so proud of you Bailey! Your flexibility and perseverance through these difficult months have really shone through. You have become such a beautiful, independent and creative smart cookie. We can’t wait to see what your future will bring!
