C’s Second Day at School

We visited for one hour together (I was in the classroom, off to the side) on Wednesday, and then a whole morning on Thursday (I stayed in the staff room). Friday was the real thing, though. We walked to school with Ruby, and I talked to him a little bit about me leaving and asked him to tell me more about the time he spent in the classroom the day before. We talked about the things he liked doing, and what he was going to do today. I didn’t get many straight answers, mostly that he wanted to eat snack in the classroom. : ) We walked through the gate, and inside to the wardrobe room. We took off his shoes and put on his slippers. He’s good at doing this by himself. Hung up his coat, and talked about where his rain coat and rain pants are in case it rained when they played outside. Then we went upstairs to his classroom. His teacher was in the vestibule area in front of the classroom, making copies. This is also where they keep the equipment for the “music room”, which is a gross-motor/movement area. He started to climb on that stuff, so I simply said “OK C, we are going to go now. You are staying with Inger-Johanne and Ruby and I will come back after lunch time. Have fun!” I gave him a kiss. I don’t think he said goodbye. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I’m glad that they let me spend two days hanging around the classroom, I’m sure it helped me acclimate to the situation as much as it helped C. I really like what I saw of the three adults, and it’s a beautiful classroom.

When Ruby and I returned to pick C up, they were playing outside. He was playing inside the crate of sand box toys, which had been tipped over. I stood next to him and waited for him to notice me. I talked to Janne, one of the other adults. I stood closer to him, so he might notice my shoes. He still didn’t look up from his playing. Finally I knelt down and said “Hi, C.” He looked up at me and said “C wants to stay at school.” There you have it! The wardrobe room is in the basement and his classroom in on the second floor.

This was our second day visiting school. C looks a little tired. We are still not completely recovered from jetlag after our trip to the Midwest. He has just taken off his shoes, and put on his new dragonfly slippers (thanks for the slippers, Grandma Susie!).

This will make a nice Sunday Picture. C’s starting school was the week’s big event (and I didn’t take any other pictures!)

Chris took the mornings off Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday so I can go with C to hang out at his school and help him acclimate. Besides C starting school, we’ve been working hard at collecting beer making equipment. Lauren took a trip to Manchester with Karl Anders.

The first day, C and I spent about an hour in the classroom. I waited off to the side, not interfering. The second day I waited in the staff room, where I took this picture. This roofed balcony extends all across the front of the house.

That big saucer of part of the gross motor material. The hallway leads to one part of the classroom, and there are two other doors off the hallway, to a bathroom and another part of the classroom.

Behind the glass bricks there is an adult seating area, and to the left is a large table where the children eat together.

I thought this was cute, with the Norwegian flag.

This is what you see when you walk in. The room behind the arch is an art-oriented room, I think for the younger age children (2’s).

C is headed off up to his classroom again. He loves it there. On that second day, the day I was keeping out of sight, after we headed down to the dining room, I heard the teachers saying to eachother “Where’s C?”. Only slightly alarmed, I saw someone run back upstairs and they found him doing stuff in the classroom. I guess after they washed hands up there, the group headed down the stairs and the teachers assumed C would follow the group. But he decided he would like to go work in the classroom more.

There is a piano in one corner and a little fort in the other. There is also a range of equipment that the children move in from the vestible when they want to use it.

This is the main “Montessori” part of the classroom. There is a second room with puzzles and books and mats for lounging on.

C said he used the metal insets (along the back wall, they are pink and blue; used for tracing shapes).

The bathroom is to the left, one classroom to the right and one straigh ahead.