Goodbye Sunrise Montessori

Sunrise Montessori has been big part of our lives for the past three years. Sean was only two when he started going there for pre-school and daycare. He was just a little guy. He has learned so much. He can read, write, speak a little (very little) Spanish. He is social and plays well with others. I've always felt like the Montessori school was like a home school. There are only 50 kids in the building and it goes from preschool to 6th grade. Though there aren't any 6th graders. The oldest kids there are in 3rd.

We really spent a lot of time debating where the best place for Sean to attend elementary school would be. He was doing really well at Sunrise. The downside was that he wasn't in school with the other kids from our neighborhood. In N.C. this wouldn't be as big a deal because the schools cover such a large demographic area but in Utah it's important. The schools are neighborhood schools. There are three elementary schools within five miles of our house. When Sean got accepted into the Chinese Immersion program it helped us make up our mind. Most of the kids in our neighborhood are in that program. AJ is still friends with kids he went to kindergarten with. Skyler was best man at his wedding and they were in the same kindergarten class. Those relationships are important.

As much as I enjoyed the kids at Sunrise they had more than their fair share of kids in tough situations. Parents of kids who struggle in public school look at Montessori as an excellent alternative, which it is. Though through the years there have been some that have been asked to leave because their needs were to great. There's Rylie who I've talked about before. Vance, one of my personal favorites is not happy unless he is wearing princess shoes and a dress. Not hard to see how easy a target he would be for bullies in a big school. At the Aviary on Friday Vance fell and skinned his knee. He was sobbing. I pulled out a band aid which usually cheers a child up but Vince was horrified. There was NO WAY he was going to let me put an Iron Man band aid on his knee. Unfortunately, it was all I had. There's Landon who was home alone with his mother when she died of an overdose. I'm not sure how long until someone discovered him but the little guy needs counselling. These are just the kids in the picture I took at the Aviary on Friday. There are lots of kids with problems in all schools but a higher percentage at Sunrise.

An itty bitty Sean his first summer at school.

I like this picture from 2010 because it has Sean, Dani, Vanessa and Jackie in it. The four of them are still at the school.

Becca, Dani, Vanessa, Vance, Owen, Landon, Riley, Sean and Lucy.

I took this picture Friday at a field trip to Tracy Aviary. Sean, Dani and Vanessa are in the picture. I'm not sure what's up with Sean standing instead of sitting. Wild child.

I will miss Marta, Rae, Liz and the other teachers at the school. They've given Sean a great educational foundation. I will not miss the monthly school bill! Sean is so excited about starting school at Stewart Elementary tomorrow. He will have the same kindergarten teacher as AJ did years ago. Sean is ready for a bigger school and new friends.