On Kindergarten

Reagan,

There are a few things that happen during your childhood that I think are “big deals.” I would never have told you, but when you turned 5 — long pause + big sigh — it really wasn’t that big of a deal. There are other things like riding a bike or learning to swim that kind of happen gradually, and actually learning those skills is a foundational part of being a kid and growing up, there isn’t really “that moment” that you can capture and look back on as “the time when that thing happened.”

Tomorrow is not like those things. Tomorrow IS a big deal because tomorrow is your first day of kindergarten. It’s the first day you’ll ride the bus and go to school all by yourself. You’ll be in a new place with new kids and you will have to navigate that without your mom or dad with you. And I think that is so cool and I’m really, really excited for you.

I remember being in kindergarten — St. Pius X in Reynoldsburg. My teacher with Mrs. Reinhardt, and I can still picture the classroom. I remember my cubby, I remember reading to her and showing her how good I was at that, and I remember we had to memorize some core prayers because it was a Catholic school. I remember taking part in Field Day, which is where the whole school broke off into 4 teams and we had games and contests all day. I remember being the youngest kid in the whole school, but remember feeling so cool that I was a part of the same school as 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Now your school caps at 5th grade, but I think you’ll feel like the big kid that you are when you see 4th and 5th graders coming and going all day long.

I want you to be confident more than anything. You’re already so smart, so I don’t worry at all about that. But I want you to show your teacher and your classmates how smart and kind you are. I want you to raise your hand, ask good questions, take chances…. I want you to be wrong sometimes, be helpful and friendly to others, and to have the absolute best time this year.

One tradition that our neighborhood does before the first day of school is to have a community whipped cream toss. The picture above is you and all your kindergarten classmates who were at the toss. You’ve grown up so much these last few years and you absolutely thrive when you’re with your friends, playing outside and just having fun being a kid. I want you to carry this energy and this spirit with you as you grow into your new school. Make sure you pay attention (honestly, 80% of school is just paying attention. You’re smart, so if you just pay attention, I have no doubt that you’ll do so well), and make sure you listen (to your teachers, classmates, and parents). I want you to absolutely crush it this year and all future years to come.

Now, here is a video of you getting whip creamed in the mouth.

Love,

Dad