Jonah's Preschool Graduation

At the end of May, our little Jonah bear finished preschool.

He is a social creature, so he has loved going to school and making friends. They weren't very academic, more focused on cultural norms--things like manners, taking turns, following rules, and learning about holidays and other customs. 

He can be shy about dancing, but eventually he has to let loose. He knew all the moves and we listened to the songs a few times at home so he could show me.

His class waiting to be called up, where the teacher talked about the award they chose for each child and why.

Jonah was awarded two--the Mr. Manners and A+ award. Ms. Nicole said he's very bright and was first to complete the 1000 books before Kinder program. He takes his time and is the last one to finish his work, but he does it really well and makes sure he does everything thoroughly. He's the only one in the class that they never had to remind to say please or thank you. When Jonah grows up he wants to be a construction worker.

He told me about their plans to move the tassel over and throw their hats in the air like they do in Zootopia.

It's the perfect representation of things Jonah says--he listened aptly to the teacher's instructions, remembered something small and specific from a movie he's seen a couple of times, and was excited to do something silly. 

Jonah can be a handful for me at times, so it's always a relief to see he's behaving well for others and enjoying himself. His teachers and classmates love him, which is the best feeling as a parent.

Jonah and Perry have had some great bonding time this year. I don't know what Perry will do next year without his buddy.

Jonah and his sweet teachers. 

One of my favorite things about where we live is the diversity, which was easy to see in Jonah's class. His teachers are Mexican and Filipino and his best friends are Indian and Australian (Eli, below).

Jonah was excited that Daddy could come over during work and see him. Anything John comes to makes it feel like a special occasion.

It's still hard to believe he's old enough for full-time school already. He's still only four and short for his age, so that's not helping. But we're proud of him and excited for his future--in Kindergarten, construction working, and beyond!