Brian's Final Year of Preschool

We are well into Summer, but I wanted to record a little bit about Brian's year in preschool.  Brain loved preschool.  This last year he went Monday-Thursday in the morning.  He always enjoyed going and he was a great student.

Everyone in his class loved him.  I am just recording what I observed when I went to help in his class and what I heard from other parents.  I know it sounds a little braggy, but I can't help it, it's just too cute.  Brian seemed to be the favorite with both the boys and the girls.  The boys thought he was funny and they would always want to sit next to him when they went to the gym etc.  There were a few girls that adored him completely, two in particular.  Both these girls vied for his attention and said that they were going to marry him.  These girls' moms told me quite a few times during the year about their girls swooning over Brian.  When they played at home they would pretend to be engaged or married to him and they would pretend their last name was Hsiao.  I find it really funny, especially because Brian had no clue what was going on.  That kind of thing was and is the farthest thing from Brian's mind.  He was just going about his business, but his business just happens to include whit, charm, kindness to everyone around him, and a ready smile that seems to make other kids feel comfortable.  One thing I love about Brian and that I hope I can learn from him is to not be a respecter of persons.  He is kind to everyone and loves everyone no matter what.

Brian made a lot of progress throughout the year.  One of the most observable areas in which he progressed was drawing.  Before he started the school year he really couldn't draw very much at all.  I think he could do a stick figure person and some shapes.  Often in class they would do directed drawings, which gave Brian the confidence he needed to branch out and try drawing new things.  Here are just a few pictures from the year.

At school they had what they called the writing center.  It was a table full of markers, pencils, paper, glue, scissors etc. in which the kids could spend the rotation time doing self directed projects.  Each day they had a choice of different centers to go to and Brian always chose the writing center when it was available.  He came home almost everyday with strange little projects he would create.  The following is my favorite of all his writing center self directed projects.

 It is a heart with a picture of our family camping on the beach on the inside.  Our tent is the triangle.  I don't know why, but this picture will always make me smile.

This new found idea of drawing that he acquired at school has transferred over to what he does at home.  The following is a piece of art he produced all by himself early one morning.  It is a pretty detailed depiction of the Solar System.  He included all eight planets, the sun, rockets carrying our whole family, satellites, galaxies, and even meteorites.  Super cool in my book.

Brian was sad when school was over and he was very sad saying goodbye to his teachers.  He grew to love them as they loved him.

This is Brian with Miss Samar.

Here he is with Miss Angie.

On the last day of school they put on a little program for the parents.  He was excited to sing some of their favorite songs from the year.  Brian started out the program like this, happy and excited.

 Miss Angie asked them to use the shakers that were under their chairs for the first song.  The song started and somehow one of his shakers had rolled too far back for Brian to reach.  I watched from the audience as he struggled to reach it from a sitting position (I don't know why he didn't just get off his seat to reach under there).  He tried and tried and the other kids already started singing and shaking their shakers and then he sat up and burst into a flood of embarrassed tears because he couldn't reach his shaker.  I went up there to help him.  I just couldn't leave him up there wailing like he was.  He sat with me to calm down and there was no convincing him to get back up there to sing the other songs.  Finally, after nine songs he agreed to stand up in the front for the last song.  While the other kids sang and did the silly actions, this is was Brian did.  He glared at me and his teacher through the whole song.  I got several surprised comments from his teachers and other parents after.  Luckily for them this was the first and only time all year that they witnessed Brian's super stubborn side.

We did finally coax a smile out of him after his teacher gave him his diploma for graduating preschool.  He was relieved that there was no more singing to do and cookies were on their way.  I do love this kid!  Good work kiddo on a great year of preschool!