Last Day of School

Elsa's teacher Ms. Stephanie.

Ashagre's teacher Ms. Misty.

Ashagre's teacher Ms. Ti.

Today we said goodbye to Elsa and Ashagre's teachers at their first school.  I have mixed feelings about their last day at this school.  There were some things I loved about it - primarily the teachers, especially Ashagre's teacher Ms. Ti.  What a warm, encouraging, and fun woman.  And, of course, the diversity.  I really hope that we can find them a school with as much diversity as this one had again soon (although to do that would likely mean relocating or at least enrolling them in the less-than-optimal district to the south of us).  They won't be the only kids with brown skin at their new school, but I can certainly count all of the brown-skinned kids on my two hands.  They certainly won't have any brown-skinned teachers to look up to.

I am also excited to see them move on - move on to a more enriching educational environment (this school was a daycare first and then added an early elementary program and felt a little too much like a holding pen than a school to Brent and me).  To move on to a school community that really focusses on developing the whole child and encourages the kids to discover their selves, a school that teaches kids how to think, rather than what to think.  The kids first day at their new school is August 24th.  They both say they are excited.  Ashagre is happy he will no longer have to take naps at school, and I think both kids will benefit a from fresh start where they don't have to be the new kids fresh off the plane from Ethiopia that are just barely starting to learn English and very much still learning how to navigate the social world of the American school system.  Hopefully they will enter this school on more equal footing with their peers and just really take off.

We'll see soon, but first some time just floating in an Idaho lake or two is in order.