This afternoon, Mama and Dada attended Janie’s Parent-Teacher Conference.  We arrived just as the kids were waking from their naps.  That’s Janie in the middle (on her tummy) looking up at us.  She was very excited to see us in the middle of the afternoon.

When it was time for the conference, Mama and Dada sat in a quiet room with her teacher, Denise, to discuss how she has been doing so far in class.  She printed out a list of things she has said in their weekly “Talking Stick Meetings”.  It’s always on Mondays so the kids usually share what they did over the weekend.  She likes to use the word “just” in her statements.

Here is a sample of her math activity.  She did a pretty good job.  We also got a few chuckles out of her teacher’s comments about her.  It’s funny to hear that she has qualities similar to both Mama and Dada.  Some highlights of the meeting:

• She follows directions and reminds others of what they need to be doing.
• During free choice, she chooses stations based on her interest in the activity and not necessarily based on who is playing in that station.  However, once she’s there she will play and talk to whoever is there with her.
• She is flexible and willing to sit in different places around the table during snack and lunch time.  If someone is unwilling to move, she will volunteer to sit in any open seat.
• She has good manners and always says “thank you”.
• She likes the art table, the writing station, and playing with the magnatiles the most.
• When she decides that she doesn’t want to do something, she will say “no thanks” and stick to her decision.  Her teachers know that they cannot convince her otherwise.
• One area that she has improved on the most is socialization.  She started out very quiet and observant but now she joins groups and plays with everyone.  She also enjoys playing with boys and girls equally.  However, she doesn’t like to join “rowdy” groups that are too loud or chaotic.

After the conference, Dada went back to work and Mama stayed behind to let her enjoy a birthday celebration for one of her classmates before getting a ride home in the car with Mama.

We are so proud of how much our little girl has grown these past 4 months at preschool.  It’s good to know that it’s money well spent.