Fun in First Grade

As I was dropping Collin off at Kid Safari last Thursday, I turned to him and said, "Collin, I wish I could go to first grade today." He looked at me a little perplexed and continued walking down the hallway to hang his coat and backpack on the hook outside his classroom.

Because of the generosity of our neighbor, Mrs. Chelle, who is also occasionally affectionately referred to as Grandma Chelle by Aaron and Nolan, I have been able to share in some of the first grade fun. She graciously volunteers to watch Aaron and Nolan, or in some cases, just Nolan when Aaron is away at preschool, so that I can in turn volunteer in Collin's classroom. Early on, Mrs. Blackwood told me she preferred to have parents wait to help out until at least the middle of October so they could establish a good routine, but then she called me the morning after the 1st Grade Expectations meeting to see if I could come over that afternoon to be the Royal Reader because no one had signed up. On Friday, September 16, I read two of Collin's favorite books to his class, "The Little Engine That Could" and Dr. Seuss' "The Sneeches."

The following Friday, September 23, while Adam was away to USTA Tennis Nationals, I chaperoned Collin's field trip to Fire Station #1 on Nicollet Ave. Mrs. Chelle watched Nolan and Renee Dauk Bleess volunteered to take Aaron back to her house with Toby following preschool; Nolan and I later joined them for lunch. Collin's class began with a tour of the fire station and the garage full of trucks, followed by a classroom discussion on fire safety. Here the entire 1st grade class poses for a picture in front of the ladder truck.
On Tuesday, October 4, because he was working from home, Adam was able to sneak away for Collin's 1st Grade Tour.

On the morning of Friday, October 14, the Hillcrest 1st graders rode the bus over to JHS to experience Jefferson's musical production of "The Little Mermaid." Later that afternoon Mrs. Chelle came over to watch Aaron and Nolan so that I could volunteer at the registration table for Grandparent's Day. Collin welcomed Grandpa Minnows and Grandma Honey Honey to the event. Together they worked on a packet of activities in the lunchroom...
followed by a viewing of Collin's "Meet a Fabulous First Grader" poster and autobiography in the hallway outside Collin's classroom. They then attended the all-school rally in the gym.
Aaron and Nolan were anxious to see Honey Honey and Minnows, too. After bringing Collin home from school, Grandma Honey Honey Aaron and Nolan with the dinosaur puzzle we received from Great Aunt Kathy. Puzzles are Nolan's new favorite pastime.
Grandpa Minnows and Collin play cribbage.
To round it out, Collin's class commemorated Apple Day this afternoon, right before their 3-day MEA break from October 19-23. The children measured apples, conducted a taste test, played Apples to Apples, made applesauce and even used paint to make apple prints.

Being a first grader doesn't sound too bad...