When God allowed Scott and me to have children, we had no idea how much we'd be blessed or the challenges we would face. It has been a journey and I am so thankful for the opportunity. God has blessed us with two precious little girls and we love them indescribably.
Since early on, education has been a huge topic of debate and discussion in our home. Initially we were pro home schooling and thought we may pursue that route of education. As time carried on and we prayed and got to know our children better, we felt that was not a viable option for our family, at least not now. Both girls have excelled academically; it has been so fun to watch. Danyka loves her public school and has made friends. She loves to read and especially enjoys her math homework.
When Whit was three, she decided on her own to start reading. At first we thought she was making it up. We quickly realized she wasn't. This past year we looked at placing her in kindergarten rather than the 4 year old preschool class at school. Unfortunately, the extended cut-off date was February 2nd and her birthday is March 4th. With this declaration from the school district we carried on with preschool and Whit had a great year.
Last month we talked to the school principal again. We asked how Whitney would be challenged next year. Our intent wasn't necessarily to skip but to make sure her academic desires would be met. He and one of the lead kindergarten teachers, also the school GATE teacher, decided to have her come in for the week of year end assessments. Whit LOVED going to kindergarten. At the end of day 1 she had proven academically capable of completion. I picked her up and she was asking for play dates with the friends she had made. She thoroughly enjoyed her week. She read books to her classmates and was given all sorts of fun tests.
On the last day, the kinder teacher said he was going to talk to the principal and make his recommendation. With her social and academic skills both meeting and exceeding kinder standards, he recommended that she start 1st grade in the fall. Scott and I had been praying about this decision throughout the week, knowing we would have to figure out what we thought was best for her. After watching her that week, we were confident that the move to 1st grade was the right choice for her. With the principal, teacher and us in agreement, the board approved this move.
It's crazy to think that our baby will be starting 1st grade next year. At some level it is bittersweet, but we are excited for her. It's easy to be concerned with the future and wonder if everything is going to be OK, but through this process we have acknowledged that we serve a great God who loves us perfectly. He will take care of Whitney and our family.
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