Our first back to school night

So back to school night began by leaving Gigi and Coco with my in-laws. BUT... I left them in the middle of a tornado warning, Grace being so hysterical that I actually thought about staying and she ended up puking on the floor as I was walking out the door. I wanted to just sob along with her. It's all so much right now. She is being whisked off every single day for school and now I am leaving her behind. Anyway... I am digressing...again.

We arrived at Back to School Night despite tornado warnings (in NJ! we don't have tornados). We were one of the last people to arrive which bugs me... as the super early person. As soon as the "presentation" started I was blown away. The program that is being used is as if we sent our children to an expensive Montessori program. The things that they learn in a two and a half hour program is amazing. They are learning the basics, weather, days of the week, letter identification, etc. But the school the girls are going to uses a "student driven curriculum". This means that if the teacher overhears the kids talking about a topic or they know that they are interested in something they will devote a weeks worth of "studies" or themes to this topic. The teacher will then find stories and activities that correspond with their theme.

I was most blown away by the way they seamlessly work therapy into their day. Sometimes it will be in the classroom. Sometimes it will be outside. Sometimes it will be the whole class (even if they don't get that therapy) and sometimes it's individual.

The description of the program made me wish I was still in preschool. It's no wonder the girls are crying when they leave me but fine when they get to school. It's WAY too much fun for crying!