Initial Highlights

School is going really well. Alice is happy. Home is peaceful. Here are Alice's highlights so far:

* The second teacher in Alice's class is a graduate student at UT. She is certified and is getting her master's in education. She is doing her internship in Alice's class this year.

* The other kids in Alice's class bring "strange" things for lunch and snack like homemade yogurt, pickles, and hummus just like she does. (She was excited about this.)

* In addition to their very own desk, the kids have lockers (that don't lock) inside the classroom for their coats.

* They are studying geography in social studies (YAY!) and there is a map of the US painted on the playground. The class is also doing a super cool project - more details coming soon... For now I'll just say that Alice might be paying some of you a visit via USPS.

* Transitioning from home to school to home again has never been an easy thing for Alice. Picture storm clouds over her head on the way to school and a full out tornado on the way home. This year has been different (knock on wood!). She is happy and calm when I pick her up.

Which leads me to the only negative thing Alice has had to say about her new school:
"There is more work in 2nd grade and it takes me longer to finish it. It's really cutting into my reading time at school."

This made me chuckle.

Last year Alice spent a good portion of the school day reading a book from home or playing math or reading games on the computer. This year she hasn't had a spare minute to read. She is doing work - work that makes her think.

THIS makes us all happy.