Goodbye to NMS

We held a quick dragonfly workshop for Aiden's class last week.  It was part of their last week celebrations, a trip to the "Goshen Ocean" (a.k.a. Gunnison Lake) which has a large grassy dam and a 3-mile loop hiking trail around it.  The day wasn't perfect for it- a bit chilly and overcast for dragons, which really don't start flying until the mercury reaches 70 degrees- so the group caught mostly butterflies and tadpoles.  We did eke out a few damselflies though, and Aiden and one of his classmates each caught Calico Pennants, which are actually a very cool looking dragonfly, so the outing wasn't lost.  Plus we all hiked the 3 mile loop around the pond, a muddy but beautiful morning walk.  Sixteen first through third graders, talking all at once as they hike.

Right now Aiden is in mourning over not returning to Newport Montessori in the Fall.  He absolutely loved his class, his teacher, and all of the kids at school (from kindergarten up to the junior class- 8th grade), and is very sad that he can't return there next year.  As parents we totally agree that he thrived in the montessori-style environment.  But we didn't love the hour plus of commuting each day, the confusing carpool schedule arrangement, the uber-early mornings, the lack of time for any other extracurricular activities, and, yes, the price tag.  Since the whole reason we sent Aiden to NMS was to give us an extra year to decide whether he was ready for first grade or second, and the answer to that riddle ended up being second, you could say that we did it all for nothing.  But I'm choosing not to look at it that way.  Yes, it would be easier for him next year if he'd been in first grade at the public school this year, but I think he's really benefitted from the transition from Windy Hill (wonderful pre-K through K school but totally non-academic) to the reading, writing, and arithmetic set in a flexible environment that he found at NMS.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this fall, that he'll thrive as well in public school as he did at NMS.  We've heard nothing but good things about the Kearsarge Elementary program, and it's right across the street from our house.  Say hello to sleeping later, driving less, and maybe even karate or soccer in the afternoons!