Oysters?

Deborah has had so much fun this week at school... They've been learning about the ocean, and the animals in it. She came home talking about oysters, salmon and sea-shells, dolphins, whales and coral. She brought home lovely sand-dollars sent from a sister school in Hawaii.

I know her favorite part has been creating salmon out of foam and clay. They are going to magically attach them to paper and send them home soon. I haven't seen them yet, but she was very excited about them.

She talked about shells, and the creatures that lived in them. 'Finding Nemo' was a topic of conversation around our house for a bit.

I am so glad she's got such a great teacher! We were so worried about her teacher at first. She seemed very strict- The first thing she did was send home a letter about all the things that she didn't want in her class, including cookies and sugar. Not that I thought that was a bad idea, but wow, did she lay down the law that first week!

Now, looking back, I can see that her strictness at the beginning was to set up a great amount of flexibility through the school year. Deborah has been introduced to theatre, dance, the ocean, mushing, high level reading, having her own book published, wearing her own art, and Native Alaskan life.

Deborah reads well above the average first-grader, and has been allowed to read at that level. She is a member of a small group of kids (about three) who are reading chapter books at about 3rd grade level, while her teacher comes up with her own quizes to check on their progress. I'm delighted with her teacher!

In fact, through the year, I have come to see Deborah's teacher as a pearl. Her experience, practicality and, yes, even her strictness have allowed Deborah to progress at her own level and interest. Go, Mrs. C.!