Back to School: Year 31!

      For me, this is yet another year of new beginnings: a new school, new colleagues, a new principal, and a new age group of students.  Wow! 
     For the most part, I have not changed anything that I do with regard to building relationships with the families of my students.  I still call, before school ever starts, and introduce myself.  I invite them to Open House.  I still give out my cell phone number, with the parameters that anything I say before 6 am or after 9 pm may not make sense.  However, parents are free to text or call ANYTIME!  These are their babies that they are sending out into the world.  I feel it is my job to help everyone be comfortable with this new and exciting milestone.
     This is my first year with preschoolers in a while, though. I have found myself reminding myself that where the children are, when I've gotten them as kindergarteners, are where they need to be at the END of this school year!  Some of my students have JUST turned 4!!  They're still little!  :)
     With that being said, we have come so far even since school started on August 17th!  I am SO PROUD of my students!  They are very good at "going with the flow" and LOVE some of the movement and music activities they have been introduced to!!  We even performed for our principal!!  We have already learned to sit still for a story and are doing an amazing job sharing at centers!
     I say this as my very first group of preschoolers that I had in Kansas (I've taught in California, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas) are entering their senior year at Leavenworth high school!  I am hoping to attend their graduation in May and still talk to several of those families!
     With the exception of missing some of the people from my previous building, do I think that I made the right choice asking for a transfer?  Beyond the shadow of a doubt!