So pleased

Today is Jonah's last day of kindergarten. I watched him walk into the building today, stopping as he does every morning to turn around and blow me a kiss, and thought, "Where has the year gone??" He looks so different, mature somehow. Like someone who has had a taste of the world away from mom and dad. I remember how hard I cried on the first day of school, driving away and leaving him there. I remember how hard he cried for three weeks when I would take him to school. I remember how he finally got over that and started getting excited about going to school. I remember his first school friend, Riley. I remember when he said to me, "Mom, could I walk into the school by myself today because I really am getting bigger." So it has been a year....

I have a little apprehension about next year however. At our last conference with Jonah's teacher she expressed some concern on his speed of learning. He wasn't where he needed to be, she said. So we wrestled with what to do. Do we hold him back in kindergarten when all his friends will be in first grade? Do we send him to first grade with the knowledge that he might fail????? Well after a lot of praying and waiting, I think we will send him to first grade. His last report card showed improvement and we will spend very structured time this summer working on his slower areas. It's amazing to me (a sidenote) at how vigorous kindergarten has become. It used to be like playtime and the kids didn't start learning anything serious till first grade. Now, by the end of kindergarten, they must be able to write all the letters, small words, be able to read sight words, count to 100.......just seems a little stiff for a five year old. Oh well.