Wrapping up the School Year

It was a great school year! Lauren's first in the Toddler House and Sophie's last as a pre-schooler. Lauren loves her class - I'm so happy she'll have the same teachers again next year.

Water transfer

Cutting cheese and giving the stink eye to anyone even thinking about taking it

With a friend

Sister love in the hallway. One of the teachers caught this cute scene.

End of year ice cream social

I volunteered to be a parent helper for Earth Day (actually, Dave volunteered, and then and to travel, so I took his place. Although I knew worms were involved, I agreed anyway). We did a lot of planting in the courtyard. 

Sophie with her posse: Liora, Claire, Beatrice and Else.

And the 3 Amigos: Sophie, Liora & Claire

I also volunteered to be a chaperone for Sophie's class trip to City Hall. 

All 28 kids and 6 adults took the City Bus to get there. I will tell you that not everyone on board was so happy about this. But the kids had a blast. 

Once we got there we got to go all the way to the top of the Tower, which is something they only recently started letting people do. The elevator to get up there, and the space to observe is small, so each parent went with just 5 kids. It was a pretty cool view. 

Pre-School Pics

Our beautiful girls. Sophie in her last year of pre-school and Lauren in her first.

Happy 2nd Birthday Lauren!

Our happy girl Lauren turned 2 at the end of December. Before the Christmas break her class had a birthday celebration in her honor. 

The birthday girl

The Montessori Globe circle (2 times around the candle to represent her years of life). 

The birthday girl

The cousins (Lauren sans pants)

Ariana came up to Philly to celebrate her first and Lauren's second birthday. 

Lauren in her Preschool Classroom

Its been 3 weeks since Lauren started at Greene Towne School, and she's really gotten into the swing of the new schedule and her classroom. Im told she's an excellent napper and snack and dancing are her favorite activities (no surprises there).

Here she is as the poster child for Montessori

 Putting her leaf on the class tree 

 Her whole class (being a little silly I think). 

First Day of School

On September 2 Sophie started her last year of pre-school and Lauren started her first. Lauren was a little weepy when we dropped her off, but Sophie held her hand an walked her in and that was that. Sophie has been such a supportive big sister and since the first day has walked Lauren into her building (which is separate from Sophie's) every day.

Of the 20 or so pictures I took, heres the best one.

 The big girl on her first day. She looks a lot happier (and older!) than her sister did just three years earlier. 

First Day of Primary School!

Today Sophie started at the primary school! After two years at the Toddler House she is now with the "big kids." Greene Towne opened up a new classroom this year for the ADM kids (Add Day Montessori), and it's beautiful. Huge, with a separate eating area, practical life area, and movement room. She's also with some friends that were with her the first year of the Toddler House.

Here's her first day outfit, picked out without any help from mom....

The End of Summer Camp

Sadly another summer has almost come to an end - although we're trying to fit as much as possible into what's left. Sophie went to camp at her school, so knew most of the other kids and teachers. She was with the "big kids" this summer, rather than the toddlers. It was a good introduction to being with the big kids, because when school starts in September she'll be one of the younger ones in the class.

Each week camp had a different theme. Outside groups came in to the present to the school, and the kids also took field trips that fit in with the theme. Here are a few of the highlights:

Soph touching a horseshoe crab during "sea creatures" week

 Every Friday they had swim lessons at SWEAT gym. She got really comfortable in the water, which is great. Here she is swimming around on the noodle all by herself (which I've still never seen in person)

And there was lot of fun to be had on the play deck. Notice the beautiful planter in the background that Dave helped to build.

On the last day they got their faces painted. Sophie of course requested to be a princess. 

Peter and the Wolf

Over the last month Sophie's class has been reading and listening to Peter and the Wolf and learning about the various instruments that are played, in part by trying to play them themselves. Here she is trying each of them out: 

Clarinet

Flute (after mom's own heart here)

Oboe. I'm not sure what is better here, the extension of her tips to reach the reed, or the unique way she has chosen to wear her headband. She has her own style - what can I say? 

Violin

Last Day at GTS Toddler House

Today marks Sophie's last day at the Toddler House at Greene Towne School. It seems like only yesterday she started there, and now she'll be among the "big kids" at the Primary School. She's turned into such an amazing, smart and vivacious little kid over the last two years, and I know GTS had a big part in that. Here she is this morning getting ready for her last day (with trusty Benson by her side)!

Here are a few shots of her and the class from this year: 

 The dynamic duo: Sophie & Claire

School Work

Every week Sophie comes home with "work" that she's done at school; usually art work. This week she came home with her first story. And of course, Claire had a big role in it :) 

Sophie at School

One of Sophie's teachers sent me a video from circle time and this text: "We started singing Baby Beluga at circle after rest, but quickly forgot the tune. Sophia saved circle and sang the entire song for us!" Here's the video that she sent: http://bit.ly/UAtu8m 

We've also learned that during art, whenever she's asked by her teacher Patrick "who is that for?" her answer is always "not for you!" This is how one of her pieces was labeled the other day. Apparently we need to work on some manners...

School Update

Three months into school and Sophie is doing great. She's one of the big kids in her class this year (which is from ages 18 months-3 years). I think she likes showing the little ones how to do things. We had our parent-teacher conference last week and we found out that her favorite "work" to do is language work and art work. Not a surprise. We also found out that her and her best friend Claire need to be separated during Circle Time and lunch because they are too distracting to each other. Uh oh....

Here are a few pics from her teachers blog:

This one is from the beginning of the year (pre haircut & cold weather)

Helping to put together some shelves in the classroom

Circle Time with her teacher Laura

Pictures from School

It's hard to believe, but the school year has almost come to an end! Next week will be the last week of regular school for Sophie, then she heads to Virginia for a week with Nana and PapPap and then she'll begin the summer program. Here are a few shots that her teachers took from the last month at Greene Towne School.

 The primary school recently hatched some chicks and the toddlers got to go up and visit with them. Here's Sophie looking in with Rachel.

 Sophie & Claire

 Sophie & Rachel

 Making a funny face in the courtyard

Music circle time. At our last parent/teacher conference they told us that music circle is her favorite activity all week and that she's actually made up her own dance moves. I think we've seen a few of them at home. 

Two Year Check-up

Sophie had her two year check-up yesterday. The doctor also confirmed that her bronchiolitis is completely gone, thank goodness. She's a healthy little girl. 29 lbs, 34 3/4 inches tall. Here are a few pictures that her teacher took over the last month. She definitely a happy girl at school!

Starting at Greene Towne School

Last week Sophie started preschool at Greene Towne School. The school is about 10 blocks from our house, and one of her classmates lives down the block from us, so we've been walking in together. So far Sophie seems to really like it. A day of play, who wouldn't? (although since it's Montessori, they call it "work".)

Here are a few shots from her first day.