On Monday morning I was greeted by 13 tiny little 5-year-old hugs as I returned to Classroom 105 after a week of being away. It was delightful to know they had missed me as much as I had missed them! On Monday morning everyone in 105 wanted to tell me over and over again about the fireworks they saw on the Fourth of July and ask about what happened to my nose (sunburn).
This week I easily fell back into a routine. Ms. Marvetta was absent from 105 all week and so I got to know her substitute Ms. Katrina, whom I liked a lot. Like I said earlier, these teachers mean just as much to me as the kiddos!
My favorite quote of the week was from Jameson in 105, as I was pushing him on the swing: "Miss Sarah, I can push myself now. Because I'm a grown up. Did you know that? I'm almost a grown up now!" Jameson's adorable conclusion is a great picture of how proud I am of how far 105 has come this summer. I've been here a month and I definitely feel confident in their transition to kindergarten, which is now just a few weeks away! They have mastered their letters and are actually starting to ready pretty well. I am so proud!
Classroom 101 was very different on Monday from the day I left. Very unfortunately, Kennedi and Harmoni both lost their certificates that allowed them to attend the MOB ELC. It makes me very sad to know that they are not leaving for better things, as Adrianna explains it. I miss them a lot and am praying that they can get their certificates back. It makes me realize that even when there are places like the Martha O'Bryan Center and all of the other places where my piers are working this summer, there is still only so much we can do to help.
On the bright side, 101 did welcome the first boy baby they have had in a while this week- Karlos. It was so fun to see him make friends with Me'Yanna. Before Karlos came along, she was the only baby that was crawling but not walking. And as soon as they got together they have been best friends--so fun to watch!
My favorite part of this whole week has been getting to know very well my two favorite babies, Sahriya and Thniyah. Thniyah is still warming up to her new classroom and is still very clingy but I have been working with her on learning to play independently. We have also been working a lot on walking. My favorite thing Thniyah does is when I put her at the top of their 2-foot slide to go down, she takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and then goes. I know a lot of what she is experiencing scares her but I am loving seeing her be so brave!
I think Sahriya is always going to have a special place in my heart. I really can't describe how close I feel to her-- and she is only 18 months old. To sum up the great week I had getting to know her, we unintentionally wore matching outfits on Friday. I really hope I will be able to visit her throughout this school year!