Pre-School Graduation

Blythe graduated from pre-school today.  My dad would say "gadgiated."  She has had a marvelous year in pre-school, has loved Miss Julie and Miss Jen, her teachers, has been happy to go to school every day, and has learned lots and lots.  Kent and I attended the cute graduation program which highlighted some of the things the children have learned as well as a special focus on each child.

We began with the children filing out onto the lawn carrying flags and repeating the pledge of allegiance.  They sort of sang it, but I know Blythe knows every word because she has repeated it over and over during the school year.

I suggested that Blythe select a different outfit to wear.

It was warm this morning and very sunny.

Blythe, however, is her own person and told me she wanted to wear her brown shirt and jeans.

Fine.

I'm going to try and remember names.

Taylor, Sina, Blythe, Kingston

We have heard quite a bit about Kingston during the year.

Talk of boyfriends and girlfriends.

We have told Blythe that at four years old, she can't have a boyfriend.

Boys who are her friends, yes.

A boyfriend, no.

But Kingston is certainly pretty, as Kent said.

He has prettier hair than Blythe.

Oliver (I think), Maxwell, Ellen and Shaylee (Blythe's bosom buddies), Kylie, Taylor

Taylor, Sina, Blythe, Kingston, Pierce

After the pledge of allegiance, the children sang the ABC song, then did the phonics of each letter, and then ASL.  Here they are doing the phonics, with Miss Julie directing them from the grass.

After ABCs, Miss Julie told a funny story with lots of Spanish words the kids knew.  She was thirsty and needed some agua for her boca and her elefante.  She put on zapatos, drank leche, and other funny things.  Blythe loves to tell the story.  She shares it with us regularly.  Then everyone recited months of the year, counted by tens, and did Chicken Fat which is an exercise song from the 60s.  You can listen to it on youtube.  They do toe touches, push ups, jumping jacks and other exercises.  Miss Julie said she would have them do it when it was too cold to go outside, but the kids liked it so much they did it even on days when they did play outside.  They were very funny jumping up and down.  If I can get a picture from video, I will include one or two.  We'll see.

This is everyone.

Ari, Oliver, Maxwell, Ellen, Shaylee, Kylie, Taylor, Sina, Blythe, Kingston, Pierce, Porter, William, Ashton

 

This year, Miss Julie hasn't really been teaching them to read, but she has been playing games with them to encourage them to read, and to show them that reading can be fun and not scary.  Each child put together what they called a Big Book with lots of words they learned by memory.  Each child got to bring their book and read it to their parents.  Blythe had great words like: pink and purple, chocolate milk, play, Las Vegas, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dolls, ladybug, lollipop, and Rapunzel Barbie.  How are those for some great words?  

Here is Ellen reading to her mom and dad, 

Blythe and Ellen with their Big Books, 

Blythe reading to me and Kent, 

and Shaylee reading to her dad.

 After reading, Miss Julie had each child come individually, and she spoke about their talents and what good things they have done during the year.  She has really paid attention to each child and knows them well.  She said that Blythe was her most creative student.  She would regularly build things and then tell wonderful stories using toys as characters interacting on her constructions.  She is an "in charge girl," who others will look to to figure out how to do things.  I took wonderful video of Miss Julie talking about Blythe, with Blythe wearing a cute green mortar board, but I can't figure out how to capture stills from video, so I don't have a picture.  (Insert moderately inappropriate word here)

Miss Jen and Miss Julie, Blythe's teachers

And here is our pre-school graduate with her teachers.

We got an end of year report entitled "What I learned at The Learning Tree."  Blythe knows her full name and can write her first name, she knows our phone number, that we live in Provo, can use scissors, hop, jump, ski, bounce and catch a ball, can follow directions and has a 3-5 minute attention span.  She can tell and understand a story, knows signs, and how to handle a book.  She can't tie her shoes and doesn't know her right from her left, but that's not so bad.  She knows all the capital letters and most of their sounds, and most lower case letters, shapes, numbers 1-10, she can count from 1-30, and 40-49, and can write most numbers from 1-10.  She can identify lots of body parts, can identify rhymes, the same beginning sounds, can hold her pencil correctly, and copy patterns.  She began the year in September at 3'5" and 35 pounds, and at the end of year, she has grown two inches and gained a pound a half (3'7" and 36.5 pounds).  Her hair has grown a lot too.

Since it was Wednesday, we brought the girls home for lunch, our final Waffle Wednesday.  It was warm outside and the girls wanted to be wet.  They wanted to put the hose down the slide, but I suggested running through the sprinkler which they thought sounded great.  Well, Ellen and Blythe thought it was.  Shaylee ran through one time then said, "Sister Barrus, can you make the water warmer?"  No such luck.  

It was a fun gadgiation day.

All three girls running through together, with Kila looking on.