She is part of the 3 year old program, Head Start and goes to an elementary school in the special needs 3 year old class.
We were fortunate enough to tour the school and meet her teacher before we started the enrollment process and I must say, everything just felt right. You know, that mommy feeling that just gives you peace that this will be a good thing! A week before her first day of school we got to meet with the teacher, teacher's aid, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, and vision specialist for a sit-down evaluation. Bug's OT from SoonerStart also attended this meeting to help give the team an outside perspective of what it is like working with Bug.
Buggie has now been in school for a full month and she is doing FANTASTIC at school!!
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| Bug with her first school project! She did hand-over-hand to decorate her Easter basket! |
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| Her Easter basket came home with eggs filled with marshmallow candies that she loved! |
I must admit, I was a little nervous at first. More excited for Bug, but still nervous at the same time. All moms, probably all parents in general, have that initial pang of nerves when it comes to putting your child in someone else's care but I think there's a whole new level to that when your child requires special care. Especially when they need as much care as Rayleigh. She is the only student in her afternoon class that needs her wheelchair. She is the only one that cannot sit, stand or walk independently but she is not the first student that the teacher and team have had in her situation. I feel confident that Rayleigh is in more than qualified, able hands when I drop her off at school. They have really come to know Rayleigh Bug and I think she's really meshing well there!
My most favorite part is dropping her off and picking her up - she has other kids around her almost every time excited to see her and to help push her chair in or out of the school doors (along with a member of her school team of course!).
Oh, my other most favorite part (hehe!) is hearing her daily report at the end of her day when I pick her up. Her teacher even shows pictures of Bug and what she did that day occasionally. These few minutes at the end of each day are so important to me because I don't get that moment that other parents get, that moment where you ask your child "How was school today?" or "Did you do anything fun at school?" or anything like that. It warms my heart that her teacher or any member of the team that brings her out takes that time to tell me how Rayleigh did!
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| Bug on her first day of school! |
She is thriving and I couldn't be more proud of my little Bug!!
