Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Back to school

Today my son started fifth grade. New town, new school, completely new curriculum so it's a big change for him, as well as me. He had been at a local Montessori school since he was three. Last year it became very clear the school wasn't right for him any longer, so we decided to put him in public school in our new town, which happens to have a fantastic school system. So far, we're thrilled with it; we're getting far more support than we ever did in a private school. Better yet, he's excited about school this year, which is a big change for him -- he'll be in a classroom that's half boys. At his Montessori school, he was in a mixed grade classroom, the only 4th grade boy in a class of mostly younger girls. Hey, I'm a girl and I wouldn't want to be around that many girls! His new school also has a strong emphasis on physical activity; O's at that age where he needs to move so it's perfect that they have this program called "Project: Adventure" where fifth graders work as teams to work through a pretty impressive obstacle course in the woods. Think Outward Bound for kids.

As for me, I don't have to make a 13 30-mile round trip twice each day ... I just put him on the bus that happens to stop in front of our house and I'm on my merry way. What a relief. The older I get, the more I loathe driving. I don't mind a road trip now and then, but I hate burning gas when I don't have to. My New England sense of thrift grows by bounds with each passing year. Which is another reason why I love our new town: I just hop on my bike and in minutes I can be at our town library, swimming pool, Whole Foods, post office, CVS, and if I'm feeling especially energetic, I can bike to Cambridge and meet my husband for lunch. (As long as I start biking around 9 a.m.)

Anyway, this is a long way of saying ... I didn't post much this summer because I was actually out and about enjoying summer. I tried to stay away from the computer and instead, focused on doing stuff with my son, who's getting to be that age where he soon won't want to hang out with me. Of course, I managed to get some good knitting done, and yeah, there were a few times I got sucked into some good British gossip (Prince Harry! Oh my gosh, stop the presses -- the royal scepter spotted in Vegas!). So I hope as the days get shorter and my time at the computer grows longer, I'll catch up on my posting. Lots to show you!

Hope you all had a wonderful summer. :)

1 comment:

  1. Aah. 5th grade. I loved having 5th graders. My youngest has just started 4th grade this morning and is SO excited. Hope the school continues to be as good as it sounds both for you and the little one.

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