My Boys Are Growing Up

MILO

I did it. Yesterday I admitted that very soon I will be the parent of an elementary school child. I registered Milo for kindergarten. Starting in late August Milo will be enrolled in the public Montessori program at Caughman Road Elementary School, from 7:30 am to 2:15 pm daily. As is standard with Montessori programs, Milo's classroom will be multi-age, with three to five-year-olds (traditionally three-year old preschool through kindergarten). After next year, assuming we are pleased with the program, Milo will progress to the next multi-age classroom full of six to eight-year-olds (traditionally first through third grades). We were pleased with the Montessori program on our visits to the school and were happy that Milo was selected as part of a district lottery to attend the school. The Montessori program is somewhat of a school within a regular public school and the teachers are very dynamic and committed to the Montessori theory of learning. We think Milo will enjoy doing "work" every day and that he will fit well into the non-traditional (i.e., less rigid) classroom setting. Milo loves working on projects and the Montessori lessons, which are very much self-directed, should appeal to him. We hope! Assuming we like the program, Calder and Zola will follow Milo to Caughman Road. In 2012 the Weinberg Three could all be attending Caughman Road together. Ah, to think I will have to wait four years for such glorious convenience.


CALDER

On a related note, Calder will be starting preschool in August in the three's classroom at the Columbia Jewish Day School, where Milo spent the last two years. I pretty much have to drag Calder out of Milo's classroom at the Day School every day, so I don't think starting school should be much of a problem for him. Everyone at the Day School knows Calder too, although that may be equally because he is super cute (I'm not biased) and he's infamous for throwing mega tantrums as I drag him down the hallway at school. Although Calder will only be attending school three days a week (Wednesday through Friday) from 9 am to 1 pm, I truly will miss him everyday. I suppose only a mother would miss daily tantrums and fierce independence (okay, maybe he's not that bad).