Graduation

May 28, 2014 ~ Last day of 4-year-old preschool

I used to think it was the silliest thing in the world when I saw 4-year-olds wearing mortar boards. Of course, now I think it's adorable.

I must surely sound like a broken record, but I can't let this milestone go by without documenting what an amazing year Henry has had in preschool.  It was almost problem free, and the small bit of drama we experienced in the fall (frustrated biting) was eventually sorted out.  

It was a year of tremendous growth socially and behaviorally. We all, but specifically his teachers, watched as Henry transformed from a child who plays solo to one who plays side-by-side to one who mimics to one who engages. This, social engagement, was one of two major goals I had for him.

Don't they look like 3 little old men gossiping?

Even more importantly - and surprisingly - was his ability to transfer "allegiances" when admiring some older boys caused him trouble. Keith and I encouraged him to play with the boys closer to his age and level of play, to which he responded beautifully. By the end of the year, Henry's best buddies were the boys pictured here, along with one other I never managed to capture at the graduation festivities.

The buddy Henry seemed to love most was certainly Jack Jones, who is also a church buddy. It was not unusual to see them holding hands as they made their way into the classroom.

The other goal I hoped he would achieve was writing his name. To enter the classroom each morning, every child was asked to write their name (as well as they could) on a slip of paper and hand it to the teacher like a ticket. At the beginning of the year, Henry simply wrote an H. Through fantastic instruction at TEACCH and help from his OT, I was able to devise a system that would encourage him to write his entire name. Once he accomplished that goal, I worked on proper hand placement and pressure on the pencil. By the end of the year, the biggest problem was having him slow down long enough to write it legibly! He was always so eager to get into the classroom, which made this mommy very happy.

As much as I adore Henry, as much as Keith and I know he is a treasure, it's still refreshing when we see others recognize this too. This wonderful woman spent many hours in the classroom helping her grandson, who had surgery that required him to use a wheelchair during recovery. Henry and Nana fell in love.

Beyond falling in love with Nana, Henry also grew from the opportunity to see a friend in a wheelchair. He quietly notices the outwardly handicapped everywhere we go, which I believe is a first step to compassion towards "the other" - the different. How cool that is, considering he will one day realize that, to many people, he is the other.

We pray for adventures as equally wonderful when Henry joins the 5-year-old Transitional Kindergarten class at University Presbyterian Preschool in the fall. A new school will bring unknowns for all of us, but after careful thinking and much prayer, we believe we are doing the best thing for Henry. So, like much of parenting, we continue to pray, hold our breath, and wait. May 2014-15 be another amazing school year. Until then, congratulations to our wonderful boy on finishing the 4s class and being the most amazing human we've ever met!