Kindergarten Assessment/Interview: Emily aced it!

The final step in enrolling Emily in Kindergarten at our community public school was the 30 minute asessment/interview earlier this afternoon.  It's a quick, casual meeting with one of the Kindergarten teachers to get a basic idea of where a child is at emotionally (upon first meeting, are they shy or more outgoing? can they separate from their parents? are they able to communicate?) and academically to help properly balance each of the three classrooms.

David had off today so we both went with her to Edison Elementary.

We were seated just outside the Kindergarten classrooms at tables with books and toys and while we waited for one of the Kindergarten teachers to come get Emily, we filled out a General Information form.  The form mainly focused on which activities Emily likes most (cooking/baking, board games, gardening, ALL sports, bug bugs bugs, playing tag and make-believe, ballet & gymnastics, and art projects) but also asked for our general contact information, any known allergies, and any areas of volunteering we are interested in.

Right on-time, at 2:00pm, a teacher walked by and called her name.  She shot up out of her chair, waving her hand in the air, saying "I'm here!".  So cute!  She walked away with the teacher without looking back.  The teacher said they would be back in about 20 minutes.

It was the longest 20 minutes of David and my lives!  All sorts of things were running through our heads:

* would she be her bubbly, talkative self or would she clam up around this stranger?
* would she listen and perform the tasks they asked her to?
* would she be able to focus while surrounded by toys and class pets?

Ack!

Then, we saw her round the corner.  She came running at us calling out that she was going to meet the teacher's pets and didn't actually even stop where we were sitting, rather passed us by with the teacher to her classroom.  This particular teacher loves all God's teachers; She has a tarantula, leopard gecko, bunny, guinea pig, walking sticks, hamster, silk worms, quail eggs in an incubator, two fish, and a bearded dragon.  She told Emily about each of the animals and that the children in her class all get a chance to "babysit" the animals over the holidays and breaks throughout the school year.  Emily immediately volunteered to babysit the taratula.  Oh boy...

The teacher then told David and I that Emily is an absolute joy, a doll, and is definitely ready and well-prepared for Kindergarten.  She went through the list of things they had Emily do and discuss including (but not limited to):

* recognizing letters and numbers (1-20)
* recognizing colors and shapes
* holding a pencil correctly
* recognizing and writing her name
* using scissors correctly and cutting along pre-drawn lines
* pointing out similarities & differences
* knowing her name, address, phone number, and parents names
* explaining what's happening in a story as it's being read to her

She praised Emily's clear and articulate use of her words, polite manners, and ability to communicate what she did/didn't know.  Emily was beaming listening to all of this.  It was a really positive, proud moment for us all.

Next up is finding out which of the three teacher's Emily will have and having the required Dental exam and Physical, which we are to turn in documentation of by the first week of school.  Also, tons of summer play dates and get-togethers to acclimate the kids to their classmates, which we are most looking forward to.

Comments

  1. That is sooo exciting minus the tarantula...EEEK!!!! ha ha
    xoxoxo and WAY TO GO EMM!!!!!

    ReplyDelete

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