Year one of preschool – check! | A Dash of the Unexpected

Today was Lina’s last day of preschool for the summer. I have been surprisingly emotional about this. She has come such a long way since she started in September, and I have so much love and gratitude for her teacher, aides and therapists who have helped that happen. It’s also one more of the endless reminders of how quickly time is passing.

We had Lina’s IEP meeting last week to set goals for next year, and I came away so encouraged. The people who gathered in that room love Lina dearly, and the IEP goals they drafted tell us they have the same high expectations for her that we do. When I said it was my personal goal to have Lina reading before she starts kindergarten, heads nodded all around the table. I know she can do it, and even better, so do they. Lina has a team of six consummate professionals – her teacher, two aides, and speech, occupational and physical therapists – all working together to make sure she is able to reach her full potential. Her school is in a county that believes and invests in high-quality, inclusive education for all students. No school system is perfect, and I know IEP meetings will get harder as Lina enters the more challenging general education setting in elementary school. They’ll probably get harder again with each new stage of her education. But I am so thankful that she is getting this start, with these people at her side.