and did I mention...?

Elizabeth and I participated in "step up day" at her new elementary school on June 18th. She got to see her classroom, explore the school a bit, and meet her new teacher, Mrs. Cory. I had to laugh when I heard her name--Elizabeth's teacher last year was Mrs. Curry! It turns out that Elizabeth has been placed in one of the multi-age classrooms with students in both first and second grade. I did a little research and learned the following: "How Do Students Get Placed? Options for classroom-based instruction include single grade, looping, and multiage offerings. The looping programs provide an opportunity for a teacher and a group of students to remain together for more than one year, exploring the curriculum and working together over a longer period of time. The multiage programs provide these same opportunities, with the addition of allowing for flexible grouping of children of different ages and abilities. The placement of students in various groups is a thoughtful process, which involves input from parents, classroom teachers, specialists and the school administration. A wide range of criteria is used to assist in the placement of students, including achievement levels, learning styles, gender, special needs and interpersonal (social) dynamics." I imagine that, as a very bright first grader (proud Mommy here), she will be challenged and will excel in this classroom.