Zach: Music Program & Award

Zach was part of the all-school music program in November. The theme was 'From Sea to Shining Sea', with songs and dances from each of the seven continents.The kindergarteners were penguins and kukaburras, from Antarctica and Australia. It was cute!

In December, Zach's teacher asked us to come to the all-school assembly the next day. Zach received an award for "being an inquirer and for exhibiting characteristics of this IB profile." Basically, he got an award for asking lots of questions and researching something intently - dinosaurs, of course. It was super-cute!

Halloween 2010

For Halloween, Zach was a paleontologist and Alex repeated his stint as a firefighter. Zach had a party at school; we went to HP for the annual trick-or-treat bash, a soccer team party and a party for a friend of Zach's from school. It was awesome, and we got our money's worth out of those costumes.

 

 

 

Bend it Like Beckham...ish

It's that time of year again. Time to break out the shin guards, see if the cleats still fit (they didn't - we had to remedy that one), and forget to put the camping chairs in the back of the car. That's right - it's time for soccer.
This year, Zach has been excited about going to practice and playing in games. Some of the same kids from last year are on his team again, as well as a couple of kids from his class; for Zach, soccer is more of a social sport than a competitive sport. He likes being in the melee, but he's definitely not there to score goals. Oh, well. As long as he's having fun and learning to be part of a team, we're good. Plus, he looks super-cute!

Happy 5th Birthday, Zach!

Zach’s 5^th birthday was a dinosaur-themed birthday. We had a great time celebrating with a ton of friends and family. Once again, Auntie Coley decorated the cake. It was pretty epic.

Zach: Preschool Graduation & 1st Piano Recital

Zach graduated from preschool! Harmony School had a star-studded graduation ceremony…patriotic stars and stripes, that is. There was song, and tears, and some goofing around. We are so proud of him!

 

He also had his first piano recital. He played “Old MacDonald’s Farm”, and even though he was very nervous, he still played.

"All About Me" Day at Preschool

Each kid in Zach's pre-k class is crowned the star of an "All About Me" day during the school year. For his day, we made a poster with photos and memorabilia, and Zach got to present his poster to the class. This presentation was followed by a Q & A session with his classmates. It is, without a doubt, the most adorable 10 minutes of video I've ever seen. Please enjoy.

Zach's in Kindergarden

Zach started kindergarten!

We requested morning classes, but apparently, so did everyone who registered for kindergarten. He ended up in afternoon classes, which threw off our schedule quite a bit, sicne Alex is in morning preschool. But it’s been fine – his class is a little smaller than average, and his teacher is amazing. He gets to do Spanish twice a week, computer lab twice a week and library once a week.

We had his first parent/teacher conference, and his teacher is really pleased with him. We're reallly pleased that she's challenging him. He loves school, loves homework, and loves the school environment.

Mom's Tea at Preschool

Zach's preschool held a "Mom's Tea" in February. The kids made pretty "flowers," and sang songs for us as we ate a yummy breakfast. Then, we were treated to a slideshow of portraits of the moms drawn by their kids. Each portrait was accompanied by a mom-scription from the kids. Here's mine:



Does my kid know me, or what? And, yes, I cried.

Piano Lessons

Now that Zach is able to read and recognize written numbers, sit still (mostly) and follow directions (mostly), we decided it was time to test the musical waters. Our small group leaders, Alec and Amanda, are gifted musicians, and Amanda has an in-home music studio where she gives private lessons. We happened to be in the right place at the right time, which culimated in our first instrument purchase - a piano. Having taken the plunge, we signed Zach up for lessons with Amanda.

The lessons have been awesome. Amanda is an exceptional teacher, patient and methodical, while still making the process fun for a four year old. Zach has picked it up quickly, and his ability to correctly find keys on the keyboard within a few lessons astounds me. Additional bonuses: Alex is excited for the day when he gets to take piano lessons, and we've picked up bits and pieces as we've helped Zach practice. Do I hear "Pickett Family Band" in our future?