Today we had a chance to tour the new CES building. It's far from complete, of course, but we were able to get inside and view the progress. Sam was excited to see it, and also excited to see some old teachers and old friends. This excitement often manifests itself in the form of anxiety, so he says things like "I'm not going". Luckily we've adopted a policy of taking choices like this out of his hands, so it took him 3 seconds to get over the fact that he was going and that was it!
Anyway, the new school was quite impressive and looks like it will be really nice. I'm even ok with the fact that Sam may never be a student there. Last year that might have been hard for me to accept, but now with a school year of relative tranquility almost behind us, I have to say I'm satisfied with how things are going. Sam also accepts that he goes to a different school. He doesn't question it, although he did want to know which classroom would be his when he returned for third grade!
The decision has been made that he'll remain at Bradt for 2nd grade. Tom and I are happy with this- he's made a lot of progress this year, and our peace of mind is priceless. Knowing I turn him over to competant, caring people each day is an experience I had yet to have until this year. People always did their best, but really it was a matter of finding the right environment for him. Bradt has turned out to be such a place.
I don't feel like any of us are missing out by not attending school here in Castleton. Instead, I feel like I can pick and choose what we want to be involved in or not. We have cultivated enough relationships to be able to have friends in many situations, whether it be at the library, the school, or the Village Inn! Would it be nice for Sam to attend school in a beautiful new building with state-of-the-art tools? Sure it would, but only if it's gonna be the right environment for HIM! If he's not ready by third grade, we'll forge ahead in the BOCES system. I've learned in the past year that we need to do what it takes for all of us to be at peace with how we are functioning from day to day.
