KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION???

Kindergarten Graduation, huh?

REALLY???
Really.

So after kids finish a year of playing with blocks and coloring, we need to have a "Cap and Gown" ceremony for them?

Really.

Well, that's what I thought at the beginning of Bella's school year. I was actually kinda secretly mad about it.

"Oh great- I'm gonna have to go and waste my time celebrating a minor milestone in my child's life just because some yahoo decided we should."

Then the school year began.

Bella was one of the youngest to enter kindergarten, and boy did it show. She was wonderfully polite, quite eager, and very smart for an almost 5 year old (yeah.. she technically started kindergarten at age 4), she just wasn't developmentaly up to the speed of her classmates.

Although preschool introduced writing letters that year prior, she really had just been introduced to the process. But, her kindergarten class began learning how to write each letter of the alphabet properly (upper and lowercase) while also practicing the sound they make. Their homework (yes homework: 3-6 pages per night) had them practicing their numbers, finding words that started with the the sound of whatever letter they were working on that week, and learning to cut paper with surgeon like precision, (ok.. a little exaggerated, but it sure seemed that way at first). They also worked on listening skills and learned how to stay in control and in their seats when told. I'm sure they also played with crayons and paste, ran on the playground, etc. etc., but they did A LOT more work than I could have ever imagined.

Concerned that the class might be too advanced for Bella, we did some research, asked our friend Dr. Dousette, and met with Bella's teacher, Mrs. Wargo. They reminded us she was almost the youngest in her class and assured us that Bella was going to click in, and just work a little harder with her a long the way. and to just give it time.

I began doing flash cards of sight words, and made up letter and sound flash cards, too. We would practice on STARFALL.com nightly and I'd draw pictures to have her color and cut out gluing to other papers to make fields of flowers, all just to try and help things along. Plus, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Lynn continued to guide her with her homework and helped instill the right kind of approach needed to excel in that department.

Then, in what seemed like over nght, it happened: she popped through into the next level of development.

And in true Bella fashion, better than anyone else her age (even better than some of the older students.)

You see- Bella is VERY intelligent.

Besides having her wonderful disposition, her beauty and her miles of charm, she is SO very smart.

I was so proud of all the hard work she put in, and it blew me away to see all the efforts pay off.

So, when we came around to her kindergarten graduation actually happening, I had to cave.

She DID accomplish a pretty hard task, and put in great efforts to reach this goal.

So yes, on the day of her ceremony, I stood there on the sidelines, taking picture after picture.

Being as proud as I could possibly be of my graduating kindergartener.

Way to go, Bella! I'm so proud of you and I'm certain this is just one of the thousands of times I'll be saying that.