Part I of our Saturday

Today we all got up early for a day filled with family, friends, and fun. We started our day by going to an orientation for Valley Christian Academy. (http://www.valleychristian.com/) This is the school we have chosen for our kids to start attending for Kindergarten and beyond. Jeff and I both went to public schools. We currently live not even five minutes from the city I grew up in. When we bought this house and started having kids we started to become concerned with the city schools for the district and city we live in. Jeff really expressed a great desire for our kids to go to a Christian private school. I have to say that after going to the open house today I am totally sold on this school. I am so excited for Joey to start attending this school next year.
Here were some things that I found to be very impressive. One of the speakers this morning was the principal of the school. I found that to be totally neat. I remember growing up and thinking about our principal. First of all she looked mean; secondly it was put into your head that her office was a place that if you went there you were in big time trouble, third was always the fear of the “paddle”. In contrast today we saw and met one of the kindest and gentlest people I have ever met. They want kids to go to her office. A teacher may send a child to her office if for example they get an A on a paper, they do a great job reading aloud, or they spell their name correctly. Then when they go to her office they can get stamps, stickers, or as she says “do a happy dance” together. She then goes on to say if there is a situation where for example a child hit another child, they calmly talk about it. They discuss consequences and how to treat others. Love that. So she is not a person to be feared at all, but a person to confide in and to become friends with. You can tell by the way she talks that she loves her job and the kids. She then went on to talk about how all kids learn differently. If they find that a child is learning on a different level there is no holding that child back or the other kids that are excelling on a skill back. They simply do other things and try different ways to teach the child that learns different or is falling behind in a loving manner. I LOVE that too.
Other bonuses:
They have a computer lab!!! The kids in kindergarten yes, kindergarten know how to save files, learn Microsoft, and excel, can make spread sheets by the time they go to second grade.
They have music where they learn notes and have the opportunity to learn instruments
By the time the kids enter first grade they can READ!!! Some kids in this class right now are on a fourth grade reading level!!
I could go on and on. Jeff and I had three other families come up to us and out of nowhere tell us how much they love the school and how the school has changed their lives and their kids lives.

Update on our kids. Joey is doing really well at school this year. (Preschool) He is still occasionally having speech issues. I talked with the lady at VCA today and the day that they do kindergarten registration the lady that does it is a speech therapist. If they pick up problems in that first meeting they flag it and he can get individual attention at VCA
Gabby is amazing! This child is very intelligent. (They both are Joey just does not share as much about what he knows unless he is quizzed) She comes home and is singing CONSTANTLY even when she should be eating. I think I may have a singer on our hands. She loves preschool and after watching her today I think she is ready for kindergarten too… 2 more years for her. She had a ball today at the new school.
As a parent I am just very excited for our kids and the decision that we made to send them both to VCA.

Saturday part 2 to follow tomorrow I promise! I promise to visit all of your blogs tomorrow also.