I particularly like the sense of community at Dalat. Parents and teachers are highly involved, there are ample opportunities to serve, and crossover between grades and various teacher roles is common. (Rachel's preschool teacher is also the elementary art teacher. Seniors each get a kindergarten pen pal that they meet at the end of the year. Students have freedom to roam and play; it's fun to watch the grades mingle during recess.) Campus is very safe, thanks to Dalat's friendly security guards that recognize every parent and student face. The school grounds are also quite lovely; the cafeteria overlooks the ocean and is surrounded by frangipani trees. I even like the uniforms! (Below is my 3rd-grader, kindergartner, and preschool-3 on the first day of school.)
Of course, it's always an adventure living on a tropical island. Below is a real "show-and-tell" that caused quite a ruckus on campus one day in early spring. A beautiful reticulated python was found by a nearby local (after having digested a small goose!), and brought to campus for viewing. I went to pick Rachel up to find that all classes had already been paraded over to see it stretched out long; some were even brave enough to touch! By the time I arrived, it was resting in this wheelbarrow. Over the next several days, the snake became a science experiment and was dissected, but I won't include pics of that!
My kids all did really well this year in school, and I'm proud of them all! Rachel loved her first experience with preschool and mornings quickly became her favorite part of the day. She loves painting, snack time, learning letters, making simple crafts, and playing with friends at recess. Abigail participated in the Math Olympiad and performed with grades 2-4 in a musical called "Under God's Sea". Both Mark and Abigail sang in a Christmas program, and each of their classes hosted a Friday chapel time. Abigail got to be dressed as a scarecrow during a fall carnival, won a book contest with her 3rd grade team, and later was the one to hit the mark and dunk the elementary principal in a dunk tank! Of course, a major milestone for Mark was learning to read and write. Below is one of my favorite of his homework assignments!
For the first time in my parenting life, I've finally had some time to myself! (Picking how I get to spend my mornings is definitely worth the lots of driving I do daily, and I'll be ready by summer's end to get in that car again!) Running errands, exercising, relaxing, laundry, (almost everything!) is so much easier when kids aren't around. Still, I enjoyed spending afternoons with my "little", so here's a cute picture of Rachel in the car with her dolly. I'd pick her up at noon and head home for lunch and play/book time before getting the older two later, and then I'd play with them.
It's been a great year, and we'll "jumpa lagi" (see you again!) next year, Dalat!
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