The End of an Era

Today is Luke's last day of preschool! This morning he copied a message for his teachers in a card for them and then he left with his normal happy little smile. I wonder if he knows that he may never be in school with his little classmates again. Cumberland County has such an expansive school district there are elementary schools around every corner, so everyone is split up really well...although somehow there are still 700 students in the school Luke will attend next year. I can not imagine being 5 years old and going to school with 700 people. My elementary school served Pre-K through 8th grade and we had 350 students. Of course, I lived in the backwoods so that may have something to do with it!

I have been so impressed with his preschool as a whole, particularly his classroom teachers and how he feels so close to them even though he's one of 18 kids in the class. He has learned so many of the things I'd hoped he would--not letters and numbers and colors, necessarily, because he already knew so many of those things. He's learned how to be part of a group, how to eat lunch in a lunch room, how to sit still (I think) and listen to a teacher's instructions, and how to handle classroom assignments. And even though he's only 4 (for exactly 4 more weeks!), I can already see that struggle to belong that comes with being in school. There are a couple of little boys who really seem to be excited about being with Luke and are happy to listen to him share his expansive knowledge of the world. And then there are other times when he is seeking certain boys and he is honestly more like the third wheel in a tight friendship that has formed without him. But he still tries, which I think is amazing.

His whole take on getting out of school became evident last night when he was kissing me goodnight:

Me: Tommorow is your last day of preschool.
Him: Yeah.
Me: Are you sad?
Him: No. I'm excited! 'Cause after preschool we go...
Me: You get to go where? (I thought he would say Kindergarten)
Him: To...VACATION!

That's my boy. :)