To my beautiful girls:
Last week I met with your teachers and had my first Parent-Teacher conference in your new school. I have not had the opportunity to speak one on one with your teachers at length so far this year and after doing so, I realized why you both love school so much.
Belle, your teacher can not be older than twenty-six. She is so adorable and full of spirit. She is the perfect match for you and I am so excited for all of the wonderful things you will get to experience in her classroom.
Your teacher said that you are doing great! You are reading above grade level, interested in learning new subjects and you participate every day. Overall she said you are a delight to have in the classroom. The only issue that we have had this year other than wanting to wear leggings and tank tops everyday with no jacket, is that you get too much attention from the boys.
They like to flick your hair, breathe on you and ask you why your last name is what it is. Your teacher told me what we had already figured out at home, and that is that the boys like you. I asked her if any other girls in the class were teased as often as you and she told me the following story:
Last week you had to leave class early to get your H1N1 mist (yes, I did it.....after careful consideration and reading through hundreds of pages of internet research I got my girls the flu mist, don't judge) everyone in the class began saying, "goodbye Belle, see you tomorrow. Where are you going? Why do you have to leave early?" The teacher said she thought the Queen of England had left the room and NEVER had she EVER received a farewell like that and she is loved heavily by her students.
She told me you were adapting beautifully to your new school and had made many girlfriends. She also must have told some other parents about how special you are because we have had some mother's come up to us asking for a play date. That your teacher told the other parents that you were a great girl and they should encourage their child to have play dates with you. Not bad my crazy (remember, crazy in a good way people) unpredictable first born.
She also told me their is a girl in your class that has special needs. She has trouble concentrating and that you of all the students are the one that helps her the most. You are protective of her and always understanding of her situation.
And now on to your sister...
My sweet first grader Lily, the first thing I want to tell you is that your teacher couldn't say enough things about you. I myself felt very special that she in such a short amount of time had also noticed all the little gifts that you posses that make you, you. She GETS you, every part of you.
She knows what you are capable of, she knows how generous in spirit you are. She went on to say you take on new tasks with ease because you can, because you know you can do anything you set your mind too. She said you help other children with things like tying their shoes should their laces come undone. You share snacks if other children have left theirs at home and always offer to help her when she needs something. She knows how smart you are and most of all she said you were competent in a way that few children are at this tender age.
For example, she is reading Charlotte's Web to your class and at Parent-Teacher night she suggested to the parents that it might be nice if we were to buy a copy for our children so that they could read along silently while she was reading out loud to the class.
So I did. I bought you a beautiful hard copy and you read 165 pages in a week, not to mention you have been torturing us with the movie. You were determined to catch up to your teacher and then once you did and read past the class, you were intent on finishing the book. She said she didn't know too many first graders who could read Charlotte's Web in one week's time and really know and understand what was going on in the story the way you do.
You, just like your sister, have this magical way about you and others gravitate towards you. They always have, even adults. You are constantly surrounded by other children who want your attention and have never been anything but kind and caring to each one. You don't have a mean bone in your body and I PRAY that we can maintain a majority of that kindness through the years.
I love you both so much and am so happy and thankful for the life we have started in our new suburban town. It suits us on every level and we have already met some of the greatest people. You have play dates with new friends every week and truly get along with each one. You enjoy your teacher's and told me that you don't even feel like you are going to school but it feels more like camp. Let's hope that feeling lasts as long as we can make it last.
Love forever,
Mama
And by the way, writing at a desk is so much more conducive to quick efficient writing than laying in a bed.
