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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Preparing for a New Batch of Preschoolers


As the first day of school quickly nears, I  find myself preparting for a new batch of preschoolers.

This Friday I will receive my class list, so I can then start doing all the things one does to get ready for them:  address and send their "Meet the Teacher" invitation postcards, write their names on their cubby labels, fill in this year's birthday chart, etc.

At the same time, I need to clear out some of the old spaces to make room for these new Little People.  For example, just yesterday I sat looking at all of the picture files from the last school year on my computer, wondering if it was time to send last year's Little People memories off to clear space for the new ones.

Naturally, my hesitation in this is in more than clearing computer memory.  Those Little People from last year were so - together.  They knew the routines and the Ins and Outs of our days at preschool.  They had developed into Little People who had learned (for the most part) that yes, their caregivers were going to return at the end of the day.  They had learned (again, for the most part) to use their words with each other, and had developed fair amounts of self control as they went about their preschool days.

Of course, with the exception of our one repeat student, this new batch of kids will most likely not be together at all.  They will be clueless and nervous, and so, so young.  Then there's the Unknown concerning this new batch - will they be Screamers? Criers?  Biters?

It's all so -  unknown.

What I do know, however, is that it never fails to amaze me to see how far each batch of Little People comes during the months of a preschool year.  Which means that whatever state they will come to me in on August 20th, their potential is huge - and even the state that they arrive in will be in some form precious. (If we keep with the "batch" metaphor, they're still cookies after all - no matter what flavor they turn out to be, they're still good.)

So let them come - I am ready.

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