Wrapping Up

I love the end of the school year.  Lots of fun activities, excited kids, excited teachers, and the best weather Minnesota has to offer.  I spend a good amount of time saying goodbye to kids and parents in the last week of school. I am generally an emotional hot mess at this time of the year....who am I kidding? I am generally an emotional hot mess. We just wrapped up our formal class schedule today.  I said goodbye to some amazing parents who have taught me so much about parenting.  I will forever feel like a student of parent education because each parent comes with their own story and their very unique children.  My graduates this year taught me much about technology and the force it is in the lives of young families. I continue to be amazed at the power of depression and the heroic strength it takes to parent when depression is a lifelong companion. I learned  so much about the pressures to parent well in a parenting culture that seems to work against parents. And I continue to be reassured by parents that what they want most is connection, that's what we do best here at ECFE.

I know that parents will find ways to connect this summer with play dates, Facebook and face to face time at all the great places that make Winona a great place to raise kids.

Our best wishes go out to all of the families at ECFE who are adopting.  It was so great to share the first pictures of Jerry and Susan and their new boy on the Smartboard. It was my favorite technology moment of the school year.  I can't wait to meet the new addition!

We send lots of kids off to kindergarten from ECFE, many of whom we have known since birth.  I am so honored that so many families make ECFE a weekly part of their family life. What a gift!

It was a perfect ending to a remarkable school year to sub in Toddler Class this morning.  These are the parents who will be new to separating class next fall.  I can't wait to meet them and get to know them. I wonder if they know that right here, in circle time, parents start to build the community of parents that will build a strong and safe future for their kids.  I have seen it happen over and over again and it makes my heart sing.

Speaking of heart singing....swings are great for that too!