School

Steve and I are pleased to announce the boys will be starting school middle of February. It is called Anneliese School located in South Laguna. Check it out: Anneliese Schools. We were not anticipating enrolling them quite this soon, but after careful consideration we felt this was the perfect time to make the transition, not to mention there were only 2 spaces left for their level otherwise it is hello waiting list. Yes, a waiting list and we didn't want to take the risk of missing out on such a wonderful opportunity.  As Steve and I started the research process and being fairly new to the California Educational District, we started asking those we work with about preschools. Collectively we started to get positive feedback on Anneliese School and we took a deeper look into the program. Everyone we talked to either sent their children there or their children are currently enrolled and had so many good things to say about the program. What is even more exciting as soon as I told my manager she looked at me with this glow and cracked a huge smile and said this was the school her son, Henry, went to for a few years! They take children starting from nursery, preschool, kindergarten, up to 3^rd grade. We will take this one step at a time and make the right decision on whether they remain at the school beyond Kindergarten. Now having spoken to my manager further, this really made me feel good about the decision Steve and I made for our boys. We could not be happier. Although we are very happy about this next step in their life, we also have the same common fears as all the parents. Will they act up, bite, what happens if they get sick, will they transition smoothly, etc. Our thoughts and belief is they will have to make this transition someday whether it is now or in another year. We also know that we have been through so much more and if we can conquer the biggest hurdles that we have already been challenged with then we can get through this. I truly enjoyed speaking with Sabine, Director at AS, as she offers a sense of warmth, passion for the school, reassuring us the boys will be just fine. Especially because they will have each other there, but most importantly this is a time when they will be able to engage with other children not to mention watch the other children meet their milestones too. For example, they will consistently work with the boys on getting them potty trained. Sabine noted that it will happen in no time especially because they are already doing it at home. By watching the other children engage in this activity will make the boys advance quickly. Another aspect is our boys tend to be selective when it comes to eating, Zach more so than Jack. Sabine also reassured me their lunches are fresh and nutritional. So many parents have come up to her providing feedback their children never ate a particular item and now they cannot get enough of it.

Steve and I originally decided on half days to slowly transition the boys into the curriculum and program, but our goal is to have them enrolled full time sooner rather than later. As I spoke with Sabine she kindly suggested we enroll them in the 2/3 program so after a nutritious lunch they will take a nap on site at school. This will allow them to transition more smoothly into their new environment not to mention the trust that builds right away with the staff. Meaning the boys will go down and wake up to the teachers and this will bring them a sense of security. As we thought about it, we felt this made sense. I toured the Aliso location around 4:30 and it was quiet around that time, which I think will also help. There are too many times when Steve and I come home and we have not even been in the house for 2 minutes and there is so much commotion, yanked and pulled in many directions. We are hoping the program will instill a sense of direction for the boys and in time the less they will “feed” off each other.

In review of locations, Steve and I decided on the Aliso (South Laguna) campus, which is located about 10 minutes from our house on PCH. I like the look and feel of the school and plus this location is not as busy as the main campus.  It is unique, and not cookie cutter (industrial feel) to what you would typically see for a daycare/preschool setting. Of course I select a day to tour the facility shortly after it had rained, but what I like about the school is it offered a sense of realness, and this is what life is all about, right? Toddlers run around and get dirty, they like to play and experiment, and the Anneliese School does just that; offers a sense of realness because this is our life as we know it. The Nursery room is perfect for the boys. They have to be potty trained to move into the 3 year old room and well, not to mention they have to be three. I think timing is perfect because this will allow the boys to transition into a new setting and getting acclimated to a school environment. I will not be surprised if they are in the 3 year old room sooner rather than later. Their day will start with drop off around 7-7:30 followed by various activities. The kids will get involved in a multi-lingual program with Japanese, Spanish, and sign language. The foreign language is meant to offer a sense of diversity and exploration of languages. The other elements to the curriculum are music, reading and exploring the nature garden. This is just a few of the elements they offer. The teachers will focus on a theme per month and read stories related to that theme so that the children get used to the "story". The goal is to allow the children to become critical thinkers instead of passive consumers of knowledge. The feel of the school is to offer a home like, earthy touch. Steve and I know the first week will be a little challenging as we get the boys up and ready for the day, but we are looking forward to it. Part of the decision moving to this next step is because we want the boys to start venturing outside of what they have been used to. They have always had someone come to them since I went back to work when they were 3 months old. I LOVE they have each other, but I also want them to not have to rely on each other 100% of the time. There are habits they need to break, and I feel like the teachers will be able to help address the inconsistencies we have in a positive, structured way. There are 21 toddlers and 3 teachers so the ratio of 1:7 is perfect. We have researched other schools where the ratio is 1:12 or perhaps higher like some of the franchise schools.

I have provided you with a snap shot of what an average day might look like for the boys:

7:00 am Supervised Creative Play

8:00 am Exploratory Learning

9:00 am Multi-lingual Circle (French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Sign Language)

9:30 am Snack

9:45 am Class time/Cognitive Activity: Projects related to monthly theme, nature walks, movement, gymnastics, art and music

11:30 am Outdoor Sensory Exploration and Story Time

12:00 pm Hot Lunch: Use of foreign language, development of manners and social skills

12:30 pm Nap Time

2:00 pm Wake up/Transition

3:00 pm Snack

3:30 pm Outside Garden Play

4:00 pm Class time

5:00 pm Circle: Use of foreign language, math concepts, rhythm exercises, singing and social concepts.

5:30 pm Creative Play (pick up time)

6:00 pm Campus closed

**Although children are able to use the restroom whenever needed, formal toilet training and good hygiene practices are done at the following times 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:45 pm

There is so much to look forward to and the more we think about this opportunity the more ready we are. We feel like now is the time and could not be happier about taking this next step with our boys.

Love,

Julie