Preschool Update

I finally received a response from the school system today regarding Erin's Teacher of the Deaf.

They aren't sure why, but the TOD I was expecting to work with Erin is no longer showing up on the staff listing on the website. But, she is, in fact, still on staff and will be contacting Erin's preschool next week to get her visits scheduled.

We were beyond thrilled to hear the news! We really like this TOD and hope to develop a good relationship with her to carry us through Erin's educational years.

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I met Erin's current preschool teachers for the first time on Friday, while dropping her off after therapy. One of the many downsides to working fulltime, I generally drop Erin off in a centralized room where the other "early kids" get dropped off. Then, when the individual teachers arrive at around 8:30, they gather their children up and take them to their rooms for the day. Since Dad generally handles pick ups, I had not yet met her teachers.

I have to say, after meeting them, I am even more sad to know that they will be leaving soon. They were perfect!

The post-therapy drop off is always tough, because it is a change in routine. And Erin thrives on her routine. Having to drop her off in her new room out of her normal routine was very difficult. But the teachers did a great job helping her ease into it without coddling her too much.

After a temper tantrum and some clinginess, a teacher finally talked Erin into going to the exit door so she could wave to me as I pulled out of the parking lot. The teacher didn't pick her up or try to physically comfort her. But, she was gentle and loving and (most of all) encouraging as she coaxed her to the door. She was showing her how to be a big girl.

I pulled out of my parking spot, stopped and waved. I rolled down the window and yelled "Bye Monkey Monk! Have a great day!."

Erin waved, turned on her heel and walked back into the room as if she owned the place. Her teacher looked relieved and walked behind her back into the classroom. I imagine Erin went to her seat to happily join in on the morning snack and the teachers were able to put their focus back on the kids who are in school for the first time. The ones who are still learning the ropes.

I hope Erin finished her snack, then invited one of her new friends over to play before Morning Meeting (ie, Circle Time).


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Dad to Toes and I promised Erin we would take her to the store to buy a new backpack and lunch box this weekend to celebrate her big move to Preschool.

So after nap we went to Target (which Toes inexplicably calls "Yow!").

We found the area with the smaller backpacks and let Erin pick out what she wanted. She was pretty sold on a Princess backpack (much to Mom's chagrin) but after some discussion on the benefits of a more Toes-sized backpack, she ultimately chose a Dora backpack with wheels.

We went to the lunchbox section and again, after much discussion and trying to fit various large Princess lunch boxes in her smaller Dora backpack, she choose a Dora lunch box.

Once we got home, we cut the tags off the new supplies. We pulled a nap blanket out of a drawer and added it to the backpack so it was ready for Monday morning.

While I was helping her into her jammies, she told me all about her plan to show her new backpack to all her friends at school. She would show it to "Anna, Kathy, Eddie, Charles, Miss Janie, Miss Abby..." etc. (names have been changed for anonymity).

She sat and stared into space, obviously envisioning how her friends would be so impressed (read: jealous) with her new backpack and lunchbox. And Mom sat there realizing (yet again) that she was in deep, deep trouble on the fashionista front.

Then we spent (literally) a half hour debating the perfect location in her bedroom for her new backpack.

It took some time, and much analysis, but it was finally decided that the Dora Backpack should be placed by Erin's bedroom door. It is strategic in that she can see it from her bed... yet it is handy to grab in the morning when it is time to leave for school.

Something tells me that tomorrow morning we will be faced with an argument when we tell her it is Sunday and there is no school.

So she'll have another day to wait before she can wheel her new backpack up to her new cubby. In her new room.

In Preschool.

:D

*sigh*

So, in good news, Toes has been doing really well in her transition to the Preschool side of her daycare. She is so excited to be with the big kids, in a new room, with lots of new activities and (most importantly) recess access to the side of the playground with two slides!

I was eager to get the ball rolling with the Itinerant Teacher of the Deaf, so I went to the school district's website to pull up her e-mail address and phone number so I could call and see when her first visit to the school would be.

Lo and behold, I discovered her name was missing from the staff list. That is definitely not a good sign! I sent an email to the school psychologist, who is responsible for her IEP, asking what happened to Mrs. L and asking if there would be a replacement assigned. It was the first day of school, so I thought an email would be best. Two days later - still no response. So I called and left a voicemail this AM.

Hopefully, they have already identified a replacement and they are just getting him/her on board.

To further compound matters, we found out yesterday that *both* of Erin's preschool teachers are moving on to new positions with other schools. It is pretty common for the school to lose teachers in August. Since they require their teachers to have degrees and teaching certificates, they often lose them to school districts (you know... with pensions and summers off and all the perqs) at the end of the summer. Unfortunately, it looks like the Preschool room was hit the hardest this year.

So, *sigh* it looks like we are in a state of limbo at the moment. Erin is still in preschool and is doing well. That is what matters most. Hopefully her new teachers will be in place soon and we can get this school year off and running!