More Than Kids

Melrose Leadership - Two Years Later

Two years ago today, Melrose Leadership Academy launched the Spanish immersion program with two kindergarten classes.  Our daughter started Melrose on the first day two years ago, when the school's future was a little more in doubt. Two years later, MLA has expanded to six classrooms with Spanish immersion instruction from kindergarten to second grade. 

MLA-First-School-Day-for-Farleys - Images by bryan farley

The Melrose school year started on August 29th this year. My daughter is now in second grade and my son has started kindergarten. Besides being my son's first day of elementary school, he also lost his first tooth. It was also the first day our two children have ever attended the same school at the same time. While life seems to be getting easier, our first day of school was still emotional. 

Melrose Leadership - Two Years Later

Two years ago today, Melrose Leadership Academy launched the Spanish immersion program with two kindergarten classes.  Our daughter started Melrose on the first day two years ago, when the school's future was a little more in doubt. Two years later, MLA has expanded to six classrooms with Spanish immersion instruction from kindergarten to second grade.

2011 MLA-First-School-Day-for-Farleys - Images by bryan farley

The Melrose school year started on August 29th this year. My daughter is now in second grade and my son has started kindergarten. Besides being my son's first day of elementary school, he also lost his first tooth. It was also the first day our two children have ever attended the same school at the same time. While life seems to be getting easier, our first day of school was still emotional. 

Melrose Leadership Registration

At public schools, parents and gaurdians must enroll and register their children. When I was a child, I just assumed that it happened, but the process is not simple. Parents must visit doctors. We must collect forms. We must return to the school, and then we must complete many more forms that are nearly identical. All students must enroll each year, even if the students attended the school the previous year. This year, my wife and I enrolled two children.

Melrose-2011-Registration - Images by bryan farley

To make the process easier, Melrose Leadership held a Registration Day on Saturday August 20, 2011. By having registration on a weekend, more parents could visit with each other without missing work. Our school board member, Christopher Dobbins visited too. Stop Waste's Bay-Friendly Landscaping and Gardening program helped children create a worm box. Princess from Girls Moving Forward met incoming students and greeted returning students. Students had one more day to bond with each other too. Win-win (everything is in duplicate)

Melrose Leadership New Family Orientation

In two weeks, Melrose Leadership Academy will begin the third year of its Spanish Immersion program. To help new families learn more about our community, parent volunteers organized a family orientation for new families. On Sunday July 31, 2011, approximately 100 Melrose family members met at Dimond Park. New families were paired with returning families.

Melrose New Family Orientation - Images by bryan farley

My family fits into both categories; we have a new student and a returning student. My son starts kindergarten and my daughter starts second grade. (This is my daughter's third year at MLA.) Since Melrose is building the Spanish immersion program into a K-8 school, I could spend eleven years at Melrose Leadership events.

On Saturday August 20th, MLA will have a Registration BBQ, and on Monday August 29th, MLA begins the 2011-2012 school year.

Daisy CDC Photos of the Year from Shutterfly

For the fifth, and final year, I collected photographs from my kid's year at Daisy Child Development Center. This year, I ordered more than 600 4x6 prints from Shutterfly. I have wanted to try Shutterfly since talking to Katelyn Watson earlier this year. The print quality was excellent, especially considering the cost. I could not purchase blank paper for the same amount.

When the large Shutterfly box arrived Friday, my son and daughter started looking at the photos. We placed about two hundred photos on the rug; once we realized that we did not have enough room, we left to Daisy to deliver the photos.

I am including a sample slideshow of some of the photos. If Daisy families want more photos, please contact me.

Daisy-CDC-2011 - Images by bryan farley

 

bf