Best quote from the second day of school... a kindergartener, when asked by his parents if he was ready for school to start, replied, "I'm psyched!"
Our Bitty Bengals arrived today and did a terrific job of settling in as their parents slowly withdrew and joined Gillian Goodman and me in the Lower School Media Center for a welcome and music by our young Suzuki violinists. While most of my welcome talks center on our rigorous educational program, the importance we place on learning to become ethical thinkers and developing each student's interpersonal skills, it seemed a little out of place when welcoming the anxious parents of our new four-year-olds.
Instead, I shared my 19 years of experience with preschool programs in California and how pleased I was that we were able to extend the GDS experience to include preschool aged children. I also spoke about the important learning that takes place at this age. As Gillian Goodman, our Lower School Director pointed out, the work of this age group is play. While playing, these young children learn to interact with each other in positive and supportive ways, and they develop a sense of self-efficacy through using their words to solve problems and make choices. We are so excited to have our new Bitty Bengals on campus!
Each of our divisions has settled in nicely today, and we are "psyched!" for our first full day and all-school welcoming tomorrow!
