Our Little Ones

This picture always gives me joy and maked me feel peaceful....

This little duck was incubated by Maddie a few years ago after her parents left her egg under the school playground at Evergreen.

I think about the great care that Maddie showed her vulnerable egg as she rotated her in the warm incubator three times a day.

I reflect on her excitement as she began to hear her baby duck "peep" inside the egg days before she hatched.

I smile as I remember how we danced and cheered watching her baby India fight her way out of her egg to meet her new "mommy".

I laughed as India imprinted onto Maddie and looked to her as her mommy....crying to be snuggling on her mommy's neck. Napping with each other feeling safe and secure.....

I was proud of  Maddie as she took extra care of her baby duckling, who was born with only one healthy leg. Maddie's arms were India's extra leg.

I worried along with Maddie the first looooong first night that India stayed outside in her new hutch. This hard decision came after India began to fly out of Maddie's room! (in the middle of the night)

As parents, we share strong emotions reflecting on our little "ones". Overwhelming sometimes! 

But through it all, we care, dance, cheer, laugh, worry, and are proud and excited for our babies.

Treasure each moment, guide and inspire....equip your "babies" for their flight with their wings. 

Last night, Jason and I went to dinner with dear friends of ours.  During our dinner, the ladies conversation turned to the school that each of our children attend and the education that they are receiving. 

As we talked about the many things that we like or would like to improve about our different schools, a consistent theme began to reveal itself....

it all came back to a need and desire for education to be "RELATIONAL"....

If there were any "issues" while the children were at the school and the communication/partnership between the school and parent were good...then the outcome and feelings were POSITIVE.

Even if the "issue" was major, if a parent felt that the administration/teacher/staff member cared, the relationship between school and home was actually STRENGTHENED.

If during an issue, the relationship between the parent and school was POOR due to

...poor communication

...no communication

....no emotion

...not listening

...not validating

...inconsistency

...the perception of favoritism,

 even if the issue was a MINOR one, the relationship between parent and school ended as a

NEGATIVE one.

As I sit here in my home on the weekend looking at the picture of my family, I am reflecting on my children and their journey through their education.  I am reflecting more and more on this as I gaze at my 14 year old, Kody, who is getting ready to graduate from Evergreen Christian School and enter high school.  The emotions that I am feeling overwhelm me some days.....I am so grateful to the education that he has received at Evergreen Christian School.  Discussing this with the women that I was sharing salsa with last night, they were amazed at the "relationship" that Kody has shared with his teachers, administrators, pastors and staff at the school.  He considers many of the above people as his friends and trusted mentors. As a mother, I have treasured watching my son grow into an amazing, confident man who is not living for "himself", but for the greater good of others.  Evergreen Christian School has done this for my boy.

I say this because I am so proud of my children's school. My children have had issues arise at Evergreen. But because of the leadership...from the advisory board to the principal, vice principal, teachers, staff, pastors and fellow parents, the outcomes have always been POSITIVE.  Any issue that ever has come up over the years have been handled with love and with RELATIONAL communication. 

As the ladies and I finished our fajitas and enchiladas, I smiled as they shared..."Your children are so blessed to be at a school that is doing it right."

I feel truly blessed.

The Benefits of Early Education

I found a great article on TheLaborofLove.com.....

The Benefits of Preschool When Starting Kindergarten

Some parents send their children to preschool and other parents wait until it is time for kindergarten to send their children to school. What you do as a parent should be determined by your child and your personal convictions. However, there are many benefits for your child if he goes to preschool before starting kindergarten. Below a few of them are discussed in further detail to give you a good idea of why preschool can help your child prepare for kindergarten.

Social SkillsSending your child to preschool really helps him develop social skills. It might not seem like a big deal, but once your child is in kindergarten and interacting with other kids all day long it will become evident why social skills are so important. Enrolling your child in preschool, even if it is two or three days a week, will allow your child to make friends, learn how to share, learn to follow directions, and become a social butterfly. This is not to say that kids who dont go to preschool wont be able to socialize well in kindergarten, just that kids who go to preschool already know how to socialize when the arrive in kindergarten.

Basic KnowledgeA good way to prepare your child for kindergarten is through preschool. Most preschools teach the basics like the alphabet, numbers, colors, days of the week, and more. If your child has these basics when he enters kindergarten then he will have more confidence and be able to learn faster. This is really important and your child is the one who will benefit. Kids who dont go to preschool will still learn in kindergarten, its just that their learning curve wont be as accelerated as those children who attended preschool.

No Separation AnxietyAnother benefit of children who attend preschool is that they get over their separation anxiety earlier or at least reduce it significantly. If your child is accustomed to being with you all day long every day and you just all of a sudden drop him off at school for an entire day he may have some serious crying and tantrum fits and a big case of separation anxiety. However, if your child attends preschool and gradually learns that when you drop him off that you will return he will understand he is not being abandoned and can have fun at school.

These are just a few of the many benefits children who attend preschool before kindergarten experience. All children are different and so are their experiences, but these are generalized and will help you understand a little better what your child has to gain by attending kindergarten.

If I was able to "add" another category to the list of benefits, I would include early identification of developmental issues.  Many of the developmental lags that are identified early in childhood can be helped.  These lags grow in strength as the school grades progess.  Helping kids with the tools they need to overcome developmental issues is key to the child feeling success and having a positive education experience. 

Preschool is more than "a break" for moms and dads...it is the beginning foundation for the next step...being a successful Kindergartener!

What parents want from their child's teacher....

I have the pleasure this week of sitting down with my preschool parents in conferences and reviewing how their child's year in preschool has been going.  It is something that I look forward to every year.  It is a look into the partnership between our program and it's families that it serves.  It is wonderful to see when it aligns...the results are shown in the children. I also see conference week as a time of self-reflection on the program that I am teaching.  If there is an area in development that I see a trend in...lows or highs....I know where I need to focus on. 

Most importantly, I feel that what parents want from their teacher is to know that the teacher LOVES their child, REJOICES in their successes, UNDERSTANDS their areas that need to be worked on and the teacher ENJOYS what they do.  Each child that enters the classroom is wearing an invisible sign that says, "I am special, so please love me."  This tender sentence follows the children whether they are washing their hands, lining up, participating in a craft, sitting in circle time, playing at recess, cleaning up, praying, learning and growing. 

EACH child is special and needs to feel loved.....taking the extra time to get down on their level, rejoicing in their accomplishments BIG or small, giving words of affirmation and praise, high fives, hugs, and connecting with the children in conversation..truly listening. 

If each child that comes through the doors of education can walk out feeling that their teacher truly LOVED them, then we can certainly say, "Well done!"      

Washington Education Statistics

As I am getting ready for my adventure to Mom Congress, I have been doing research on the health of Washington state education..........I am finding some interesting results:

Washington ranks 44th in the nation for per-pupil  spending (2008)

Washington ranks 3rd worst in class size out of 40 states and Washington DC
   In 2008-2009, the pupil/teacher for WA state was 19:1.  The U.S. average was 15.3.

Washington ranks last in average compensation among West Coast states.
            It ranks 19th in average salary out of 50 states and Washington D.C.

Washington's average classroom teacher salary rank dropped from 5th to 19th place.

Due to state budget cuts, Washington has 3,684 fewer state funded K-12 educators in the 2009-11 biennium -- student enrollment has increased by more than 6,700 students.

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction:
Washington State Report Card

2009-2010 MSP/HSPE Results

The following lists the grades and the percentage that are meeting standard:
    
3rd grade
            Reading     72.1%       Math         61.8%
4th grade
            Reading     67.2%       Math   53.7%        Writing    61.1%
5th grade
             Reading   69.6%        Math    53.6%
6th grade
             Reading   64.6%         Math   51.9%  
7th grade
             Reading    63.4%        Math    55.3%        Writing  70.3%
8th grade
            Reading    69.4%         Math    51.6%        Science   54.5%
10th grade
            Reading     78.9%        Math    41.7%        Writing  86.0%       Science  44.8%

So, fellow Washington parents, what do you think about this?  It seems to me that there is an issue with class size, education funding and academics.  Can you share with me if you see truth in these statistics?  PLease share :)

Mom Congress

OLYMPIA MOM WINS TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D.C. TO REPRESENT WASHINGTON

AT PARENTING MAGAZINE’S

MOM CONGRESS ON EDUCATION AND LEARNING® CONFERENCE

RENEE BERRY TO JOIN PARENTING, U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

ARNE DUNCAN, AND ONE OUTSTANDING MOM EDUCATION ADVOCATE FROM EVERY STATE AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY APRIL 10-13, 2011

Olympia, WA March 2, 2011 – Parenting magazine today announced that Renee Berry of Olympia has been selected to represent Washington State at the second-annual Mom Congress on Education and Learning® conference at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. this April 10th through 13th.  Renee Berry was chosen for her outstanding contributions and dedication to improving local schools. A total of fifty-one moms, representing each state and the District of Columbia, have been selected by Parenting as Mom Congress delegates.

For the second year in a row, Parenting selected each delegate from applications submitted through Parenting.com.  Each will receive round-trip airfare, a three-night hotel stay, and the opportunity to connect with other moms from across the country to share success stories, challenges, and concerns as they work to improve our nation’s schools.

“I am honored to represent the beautiful state of Washington and share its many accomplishments in education.  As Director of Evergreen Christian Preschool, I see the importance of early education in a child’s success in school. Early education’s goal is equipping children with the tools for confidence and laying a solid the foundation of learning,”   says Renee Berry of her excitement to be a part of Mom Congress.  “I am looking forward to listening to the other 50 voices of Moms from other states with the same goal in mind….bettering our children’s education.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan headlines the roster of education and advocacy leaders scheduled to address the delegates at the conference. On Tuesday, April 12th, Secretary Duncan will speak to attendees about the crucial role that parents play in helping implement the national agenda for improving the country’s school system and the educational opportunities available to our nation’s children.  Other organizations scheduled to appear include First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, StudentsFirst.org, Reach Out and Read, the National PTA, National Education Association, Headstart, PBS, and NBC Learn.

Throughout their time at the conference, the Mom Congress delegates will work closely with Parenting editors to shape the magazine’s editorial coverage to better inform and empower parents nationwide to get involved in their children’s education.  Faculty members from Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies – the Mom Congress educational provider – will also lead sessions during the event, and will offer scholarships for Mom Congress courses to 10 outstanding mom advocates per semester.

KinderCare, as a sponsor of the 2011 Mom Congress conference, will help raise the awareness of the critical role early childhood education plays in preparing young children for success in school through a panel discussion of leading experts and a breakout session with delegates led by Dr. Elanna Yalow, Mom Congress Advisory Board Member and Executive Vice President at Knowledge Universe, the parent company of KinderCare. During the event, KinderCare will also highlight the importance of early literacy by making a donation of 20 books for each delegate to a national reading organization while also providing its “Today I Will Read a Book” guide to reading to all Mom Congress attendees.