Gearing up for Preschool

Addie is getting ready for her second (and last!) year of preschool. She is so excited! Her teacher this year is Miss Dodi, and I'm really excited to see how their personalities mesh. Addie has a hard time with transitions, so the change of moving and starting a new daycare AND starting preschool last year was waaaaay to much. I was so glad that Miss Chris was her teacher because she was so nice and laid back. Miss Dodi is nice and laid back as well, but she is also no-nonsense and follow the rules which is exactly what Addie needs to be able to start kindergarten next year.

Addie is 90% ready for kindergarten - she knows her numbers and can count to 50, knows her colors, knows the alphabet and can write her first name by herself (the d's usually turn into b's though, so Addisen becomes Abbisen :) and recognizes her last name and can write it with help. She can count to 10 in spanish. She recognizes words and when read a book more than 3 times can basically recite it back, but she's not qutie reading yet.

Her little backpack is all ready to go, and we got school supplies. Open house to see the classroom and meet the teacher is next wee, and then class starts the first week in September.

We are debating (not much, but a little bit) about where to send her for Elementary school. She is currently attending a church preschool, and we love it. The kids are great, the teachers are great, and she comes back with a new prayer almost every day (and they are adorable!) But the majority of the kids are planning to go to the church elementary which I am not sold on. I had a religious "education" and feel it was more of an indocrtrination and much less of an education. I don't have much positive to say about the education that I recieved. And that is my hang up onsending Addie to a religious school. I want her to have the best education possible, and I firmly believe in public education. This is an area Corey & I both agreed upon even before we got married - that if/when we had children, they would go to public school.

And to make it even easier, the elementary school is literally right across the street from our new house!

The part I am struggling with though, is that none of the kids she is going to daycare or preschool with will be going to this particular elementary school. Her cousin and good friends are all going to the christian preschool, and those that are going to attend public school aren't in our school district. So we shall see. I am still leaning toward public education, but I think I want to tour both next summer/fall before we make any final decisions.