trunk or treat

I expected to go without Halloween while we are in England as it wasn't much of holiday when we were here last.  Things have changed.  Pumpkins were for sale in all the grocery stores along with decorations, party favors, and specially packaged candy.  We had small groups of children trick or treating in our neighborhood.  None came to our flat, but most of the people living in our complex are retired, so it doesn't draw children celebrating this American party.  We didn't go out on the 31st because our school held a party for Halloween the next night, which was better for us since it was Friday with no school the next day.

I didn't even have to ask Tim to pose for this picture.  I think he likes Halloween as much I like it.

He had a mask that he wore for a good part of the night.  I remember mine from childhood.  It restricted my sight and got hot and humid very quickly.  I applaud him for wearing it so long.  He's the red Power Ranger.  The gold design on the front has small lights that flash.  I don't remember if I played in my Halloween costumes, but I know he'll get months, possibly years of play out of this.

The Halloween celebrations a school started with a parade of the Pre-K and Kindergarten children dressed in their costumes around the grounds.  I had to teach so I didn't get to see it, but I was told that Tim kept in Power Ranger character unless a camera was pointed at him in which case he would lift up his mask and pull a face.  Most of the rest of his day was spent eating cakes and playing games, I think.

After school, we walked to the pub for a quick bite before returning for the real event.  Parents had decorated the  trunks of their cars with skeletons, spider webs, monsters, witches, etc.  Some of them were themed, and all of them were impressive.  The kids went from car to car to get their candy.  After that, we went to the old gym where there were carnival games and bouncy castles.  We didn't go to the haunted house, put on by the high school drama department.  Apparently, it's terrifying.  The students get a grade from their drama teacher.

the farm show

Tim's class put on their first program of the year called The Farm Show.  This was the culmination of all the learning they have had thus far, starting with the Little Red Hen and included Johnny Appleseed and a trip to Garsons Farm, a local vegetable farm where they got to pick and keep a pumpkin.

The parents were invited, and I luckily didn't have a class, so I was able to attend and enjoy the performance and the pumpkin cake that they made the day before.  Tim served it to me.

This is Ruby and Jack welcoming the guests.

"All Around the Kitchen" is a new song for us.

This is the "glue dance" in which they are to pretend their feet are glued to the floor.

This is what we know about the farm.

This is what Tim knows about the farm.

It wouldn't be a farm show if we didn't have Old MacDonald.

This is Tim's class.  The woman behind Tim is his head teacher Mrs. Dunkley.  The woman on the right is Ms. Hylands who is with the class full time as Mrs. Dunkley's assistant.  There is usually a third adult with them.

On Tim's right is Jack.  His father and mother teach at the high school, and we are becoming friends.  Mom teaches English and Dad teaches science.  On Tim's left is Nathaniel, his nemesis.  Nathaniel has never been in school before, so he is learning a lot about group behavior.  Next to Nathaniel is Daniel.  His mother and I started work this year and got to know each other in all the new teacher meetings at the beginning of the year.  She teaches science and her husband teaches math at the middle school.  Tim and Daniel are current best friends.

Those are the major players in his class life right now, so I won't bother with the names of the others - not that I know all of them.  He has little to say about the girls.  Ruby is in the middle to Tim's far left.  Her mother and father teach at the school as well, but I don't know them other than to say hello and nod.

learning to read - the beginning

Tim is learning to read, and we are very excited.  This such a special, wonderful time in our lives, especially regarding his education.  I love how obvious what he is doing in school is because it just pours out of him spontaneously in song, noticing rhyming words, sounding out letters he sees on signs, in conversations he has with himself, and best of all the things that he voluntarily tells us about his day.  I don't have to say a word about school, and within minutes of collecting him at the end of the day, he's telling me about something that happened or something he learned or something that is going to happen.  I can't help but compare him to my own students.  I'm sure none of them go home talking about how an author creates mood in a short story.

kindergarten

in the garden waiting for the bus

mom's first day with students.  we ride the bus to school together

on the sidewalk just outside our flat and in front of the bus stop.  very convenient

on the bus. he's walked this route several times with dad to get to the grocery store.  so much faster on the bus!

outside the kindergarten building.  the two windows on the ground floor are his classroom.

these boys were playing when we arrived and tim joined them as soon as his jacket was off and his teacher had told him welcome and turned to the next child.  no tears, no clinging, no drama - from either of us.  The blonde boy on the floor is the child of one of my colleagues, kate, who i also consider a friend.

the room has a wonderful atmosphere

I planned to wake Tim at 06:30 to give him enough time to be ready for the bus at 07:15, but he came into our room just after 06:00 and asked if it was tomorrow yet because the last thing we'd talked about last night was that he'd get to start school tomorrow.  He has been ready to start since we moved into the flat, hungry for playmates and thirsty to learn.  The other day he wanted to know when he was going to learn about science.  

His teacher is a thirty year veteran name Annie Dunkley.  The kids have been instructed to call her Miss Annie.  When Paul collected Tim at noon today (half days all this week then full days from next Monday), she said, "He is such a sweet boy."  We know him well enough now to not be surprised by this, but it's still wonderful to hear.

Tim put himself to bed tonight.  We're all looking forward to tomorrow and another day of discovery.