We just watched The Incredibles in our house, and the super parents in the movie are having an argument about Mr. Incredible attending his sons 4th grade graduation. Mr. Incredible asserts that it is not a graduation, that Dash is just moving from 4th grade to 5th grade and that our world is finding new ways to "celebrate mediocrity."
I always kind of agreed with him. My dad didn't even attend my college graduation because he said it wasn't my "real" graduation. He would attend when I graduated from law school three years later. So I guess the bar was pretty high in my head.
But then I saw firsthand the kind of progress a child makes in an individual grade. I saw the challenges and obstacles, the triumphs and strength building moments that are a unique product of that year's environment, teacher, and classmates. I saw Anna struggle to sit still and follow directions. I saw Anna struggle to make friends and learn appropriate ways to approach other children. At the beginning of the year I honestly didn't know if Anna was going to be ready for Kindergarten the following year.
And at the end of the year, her handwriting had become legible, she knew her letters, she could (but sometimes still didn't) wait quietly for her turn to speak. She could follow directions. She could ask politely for something. She could draw detailed pictures with people and places and explain them. She finally made friends and found better and more polite ways to approach those friends. By the time her preschool graduation rolled around, I truly felt like we had something special to celebrate. She had made it through a fairly tumultuous year, and she was still the happy girl we loved but with some new found skills.
We live in an area that is well known for having great schools. But all the great schools and programs can be a little overwhelming when you are trying to figure out your child's academic future. There were two elementary schools in my hometown when I grew up-- West Elementary and East Elementary. They were divided geographically, and that was that! Here, there are so many schools and you have choices, and as a parent, you start thinking "if the flapping of a butterfly's wing can change the course of history, then what impact can the choice of schools have on my child????" Well, it only determines her friends, peer group, future crushes, teachers, role models, after school activities, profession, and contribution to society (or so you start thinking). And that is just the choice of schools. Don't even get me started on what kind of extra curricular activities they choose.
Well, we decided to put Anna in a spanish immersion elementary called Puesta del Sol. It is a great school, and she will actually know a handful of her classmates already. Additionally, even when we move from our rental and buy a house, she can stay in her school and have that consistency and stability. Because I am actually one of those parents who believe that school environment has a great impact on an individual's life, I felt nervous about the long term impact of my decision. So, as I was driving to her new school to turn in all the necessary registration forms, I said a prayer, asking for Heavenly Father to help me know whether sending Anna to this school was the right choice for her and for us. As I gave God the opportunity to respond to my prayer, I felt the impression that He had purposes for our family in this decision. Maybe it is important for our family to learn spanish because someday we will live in a spanish speaking country (wait, we already do!). Perhaps Anna will make that one great friend who will help her successfully navigate her childhood. Perhaps either Anna or Benjamin, or both, will one day serve missions for the church in Spanish speaking countries. For whatever reason, I felt like Heavenly Father was watching over us and helping us to make the right decision for our family.
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