So, I was informed by her new 'camp counselors,' Dory and Nelcia that she was a joy, very social, didn't cry once, ate all her lunch, and slept through nap time and beyond, which kind of provides for less dramatic traction than I would like for this blog. But, I was, and am, very proud of her ability to adapt to new surroundings.
"Bella go to new school. It was really, really...fun," she said.
I thought the adventure called for an ice cream, and we indulged ourselves.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
In the morning, my wife and I left, and Bella seemed pretty content. I got the privilege of going to pick her up at 2.30pm, which felt like 45 minutes later. (This is a bane of a schedule ruled by child-care arrangements: time evaporates, and it feels impossible to get anything done.)
This, though, was a special opportunity for me. I have never seen Bella in a school or daycare setting in which she's oblivious to my presence. We've never seen her be her own person in our absence. I got to sneak up behind her group in the Park when they were having an African drums and songs session. She (sitting next to the boy in the red T-shirt, standing) was being attentive, and quiet. It was pretty delicious to watch, and I snapped the following pics.
This, though, was a special opportunity for me. I have never seen Bella in a school or daycare setting in which she's oblivious to my presence. We've never seen her be her own person in our absence. I got to sneak up behind her group in the Park when they were having an African drums and songs session. She (sitting next to the boy in the red T-shirt, standing) was being attentive, and quiet. It was pretty delicious to watch, and I snapped the following pics.
Trepidation
After washing her hands for about 20 minutes I took this shot. She looks, a little, well....trepidatious.
The little sinks
Bella loves to wash her hands. Perhaps it's the beginning of an obsessive compulsion. There could be worse ones, no? When we arrived for her first day yesterday morning, she went right for the little sinks.
Maple Street
This is the Maple Street School, on Lincoln Road in Flatbush. It's adjacent to the Prospect Park stop on the B/Q train.
I learned about the school from my friend Anthony Pinciotti, the jazz drummer, who sent his son, Sal, there. "They check out Miles Davis. I went in there and they were listening to 'Kind of Blue,' instead of watching Barney or some dumb-ass shit like that," I remember him telling me and my wife 3 years ago.
The school's director is Wendy Cole with whom I am going to try and catch up in the next few days for a chat about the history of the school and its role in the community. Suffice it to say, though, that we were attracted to the school for a few reasons. Besides being nearby, it stresses child-directed learning through interaction with other children, the environment and the arts. It is based, in part on the Reggio-Emilia and Waldorf-Steiner educational philosophies. Also, the school, unlike some others we visited, is highly diverse - racially and economically- and actively struggles to maintain its identity as an institution rooted in the community. That is, as it has grown, and grown more expensive since its inception in 1978, it continues to serve the Flatbush community, as well as the generally more affluent newcomers that have been part of the area's gentrification over the past five years. It is also a cooperative that puts its pupils' parents to work. More on that later.
I learned about the school from my friend Anthony Pinciotti, the jazz drummer, who sent his son, Sal, there. "They check out Miles Davis. I went in there and they were listening to 'Kind of Blue,' instead of watching Barney or some dumb-ass shit like that," I remember him telling me and my wife 3 years ago.
The school's director is Wendy Cole with whom I am going to try and catch up in the next few days for a chat about the history of the school and its role in the community. Suffice it to say, though, that we were attracted to the school for a few reasons. Besides being nearby, it stresses child-directed learning through interaction with other children, the environment and the arts. It is based, in part on the Reggio-Emilia and Waldorf-Steiner educational philosophies. Also, the school, unlike some others we visited, is highly diverse - racially and economically- and actively struggles to maintain its identity as an institution rooted in the community. That is, as it has grown, and grown more expensive since its inception in 1978, it continues to serve the Flatbush community, as well as the generally more affluent newcomers that have been part of the area's gentrification over the past five years. It is also a cooperative that puts its pupils' parents to work. More on that later.
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