Preschool Graduation & the Kindergarten Decision

Hannah is officially a Preschool graduate!  We had a big decision to make in regards to PreK or Kindergarten this fall, and have gone back and forth for months.  We finally came to an agreement and I think everyone is happy.

Although Hannah was due on September 1st (which happens to be the admission cutoff for Kindergarten), she wasn't born until the 19th.  Upon first calculating her due date I remember realizing that if I went even ONE day overdue that she would miss the cut off.  Apparently I didn't knock on wood and instead she went 18 days over.  But I digress...

Shortly before Hannah turned three she began a 3 year old preschool program, and just completed the 4 year old program this Spring.  With two years of 'school' under her belt she knows how to conduct herself in a classroom, and continues to improve her social skills.

Her teacher (pictured above) did a wonderful job of teaching the children phonics, and Hannah has begun reading Bob Books and easily sounds out basic words.

After months of Hannah begging to go to Kindergarten at the 'Big Kid's School', in March we contacted our district's elementary school and spoke with the Principle about early entry.  Chris was the oldest in his class and I was one of the youngest in mine, so we had many discussions about the pros and cons of both.  Ultimately we realized that if Hannah was excited about it and the testing would show if she was ready for it, then we should at least let her try.

In May Hannah sat down for an academic test with the school's Kindergarten teacher, and last week Hannah sat in on a Kindergarten class while the school counselor observed her.

This morning we spoke with the Principle and found out that Hannah did very well on both evaluations.  We ultimately decided to let Hannah begin Kindergarten in September, and if after two months we felt that she wasn't ready, then we'd have the option of switching her to a PreK program instead.  I think this is a great compromise and Hannah agrees.  She's also VERY excited.

Part of me expected to have another year before having a Kindergarten student, but a bigger part of me knows that Hannah is independent and determined and will thrive in school.

Hannah was so proud of her graduation ceremony, but I think she was most excited to wear her new rainbow heart dress and cutout hooded sandals from Fabkids.  "I look like a Kindergartner in this outfit!"  Yes, Yes she does...

In case you aren’t familiar, they are a subscription service that offers you a complete outfit for $29.95 a month. Every outfit includes 2 pieces — so you can get a fabulous dress, paired with leggings OR a top and a bottom, etc.  They make girls and boys clothing with a wide range of sizes.  Hannah is wearing a Medium (6/7) in these pictures and it's nice and roomy.  (The Small (4/5) just became a little too tight.)   They carry XXS (2T - which William has just started wearing!) up to XL (12).

Thanks to FabKids for providing Hannah's outfit for review.  

We've been working with FabKids for over a year and I'm very 

impressed with the quality (and cuteness!) of their clothing.  

I highly recommend them.  See disclosure for details.