It was great to meet you yesterday and we are looking forward to Orientation on Thursday. I loved the information packet you sent in the mail and am writing to tell you a little bit about Ben. Ben is #3 of our 4 children. He has an 11 year old brother named Jack who is starting 6th grade at Gregory Middle School, and an 8 year old sister, Molly, who will be in Mrs. Rosenberg’s 3rd grade class. Ben has been the baby of the family for the past five years, until this past Christmas when we welcomed his baby sister Maeve into the fold. He’s never acted like the ‘baby’ though, and has been chasing his brother and sister around since he could crawl. He adjusted beautifully when Maeve came home, and we are so proud of what a doting big brother he has become.
Ben is an awesome
kid. He’s funny and bright, with an imagination
that never quits. He loves books, lives
for superheroes and science projects, and is a good friend and loyal little
brother. He’s cuddly and kindhearted,
but as the third child, he’s used to having to fight for what he wants amongst
the big kids, so he can come off as overly assertive or aggressive to kids who
don’t have that experience themselves.
He’s also got a huge case of idolizing his big brother and his 11 year
old friends, which means you’ll likely hear things coming out of his mouth that
are parroting the big boys (and potentially inappropriate for the kindergarten
set). Case in point, I’ve had to ban the
song “I’m sexy and I know it” from my
house!
Ben’s curiosity is intense, which is both a blessing and a
curse. He thrives on learning and is
incredibly articulate and inquisitive. He’s
figured out how to sound out words and is on the brink of that magnificent moment
when the reading lightbulb goes off – he’s going to be unstoppable when that
happens because he already spends hours poring over books and magazines without
even knowing what the words say. And he’s
surprised me many times with his math knowledge – he seems to pick things up
like a sponge.
But like I said, that
curiosity also brings challenges. Ben has
a hard time accepting limits, such as not asking questions constantly, not being concise with his imaginative monologues (he’d
go on for hours if you let him), not
keeping his hands off things that intrigue him (like the Smartboard in the classroom
at Meet and Greet!), and most challenging of all, not staying put when he wants
to investigate something. In other words…he’s a flight risk!
In fact, at orientation
yesterday, while we were in Mrs. Rosenberg’s classroom, he told me he wanted to
go back downstairs. He took off running,
and I couldn’t catch him because of the crowds.
It took us 20 minutes to find him.
I’ve learned after hundreds of experiences like this not to worry, but
to try and get inside his head to figure out which way he went. I was thrilled to find out that your
classroom was the third one down the hall, because it will be harder for him to
escape the building from your classroom (though I have no doubt he’ll try!)
The best way to work with
Ben, is to set firm limits and use positive discipline strategies to reinforce
them (I know I’m preaching to the choir here).
The structure and routine inherent to school also helps. He wants to be a helper and loves to learn,
so within a few weeks I’m sure he’ll be adjusted and having a blast.
I’m grateful that I have
baby Maeve at home, because otherwise I’d spend the whole day missing Ben – he is
a total cutie-pie and a constant source of entertainment. We all love him to pieces, and I know you’re
going to enjoy having him in your classroom!
Please keep in touch – my husband
Marc and I are totally approachable about discipline issues, learning issues,
any issues really. We adore our kids,
but we are not blind to their eccentricities and challenges. If you have any challenges with Ben, it’s
likely that we are dealing with the same thing at home – we’d love to help in
any way we can.
Looking forward to a
wonderful and exciting year!
Beth Mallett
2 comments:
Umm, would you mind writing my Meet Miss N letter, though her teacher hasn't asked for one... 'cause everything you write just sounds so much better than when I do it. Love, m
You are too sweet! And frankly, so is Miss N. She would NEVER do the things my spunky little superhero does. I'm HORRIFIED at what she'll think of us when he drops a curse word or flips off his classmates. There is no TELLING what he is capable of! (I'm cringing, CRINGING I tell you!)
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