First Day of School

And now, ladies and gentleman, may I finally present the first day of school.  We are, after all, well into second quarter.  This year both Brooklyn and Talia headed off to West High.  Although it's her third year at the school, Brooklyn is officially a freshman now.  She's doing online PE so that she has room in her schedule for A'Capella, drawing, and seminary.  Talia is an ELPer sevvie. (For those who don't speak West lingo, that's an Extended Learning Program seventh grader.)  She's handled the transition from elementary school beautifully, and is enjoying art and ASL as her electives.  As for me, I feel grateful to be at West to see how these girls are thriving.  I love how they are best friends, electing to share a bedroom and encouraging each other to make good choices.  No one ever told me that parenting teens/tweens could be such fun.

Meanwhile, Eli is doing excellently at Emerson Elementary.  He loves his teacher, Mr. Dadok, and is continuing to make great progress as he learns in both Spanish and English.  His favorite subject continues to be math, although he's written some fun stories recently.  Responsible and independent, Eli gets himself ready each morning, reminding Jason and I when it's time to leave for the bus.  This run/walk to school is one of my favorite times of day.  I love connecting in the crisp morning air.  Individually, these conversations may not seem all the important, but collectively they are priceless.

Finally, our Annika Mae is a first grader at Wasatch Elementary.

Her teacher, Ms. Blank, is an unassuming figure that you might pass in a crowd without ever noticing.  In the classroom, however, she is one of the most gifted educators I have had the privilege of observing.   Using a soft voice that is both kind and firm, she can instantly gather the attention of an entire classroom of wiggly first graders, guiding each student as they learn and prow.

Annie is thriving in her classroom as she experiences the joy of reading.  She also loves art, music, her new theater class with Ms. Penny, and of course, recess.

When it comes to actual hours in the day, our kids spend far more time with their teachers than with us parents.  We feel so grateful for the educators who teach our children and care for them as individuals.

Also, thanks to our children for heading to school each day with a good attitude and smile.  Education is such a blessing--thank you for appreciating it.