Nature's Way

Spencer started a new preschool in late September—Nature's Way, which is part of the Austin Nature and Science Center in Zilker Park. It's the only preschool that we got on the list for when he was a baby. Our good friends Jessie and Cooper went there and we heard how magical it was from their mom. We're pretty sure she had something to do with Spencer making the cut, along with Dave and Spencer's frequent trips to the ANSC where they talked to the director and various teachers. However it happened, we are feeling beyond blessed around here.

As you might guess from the school's name, it is very focused on the outdoors—they spend most of their time outside, rain or shine. There's have a huge playground covered by a canopy of oak trees, with a giant sand area complete with water hoses, shovels and PVC pipe, as well as access to paints, musical toys, puppets, etc. They take a hike every day. They eat lunch outdoors. Sometimes animals from the ANSC will visit their class. He comes home dirty and sweaty and happy as a clam!

Spencer is in the Hummingbirds class with seven other 3-yr-olds and a class frog. He has a male teacher and a male teaching assistant, and he adores them both (and they are beyond awesome with the kids). Here's a quick example of how great his teacher is. The third day of class, Spencer brought a huge yellow moth that we had found in a parking lot over the weekend. When we returned on Wednesday, his teacher had it on display with a note saying it was donated by Spencer, along with all sorts of information he had found about the moth. Made the boy feel special.

He is going to thrive here—it was obvious from the first day when Dave could barely tear him away to go home and then he talked non-stop during dinner about his day. This is a picture I took from my office while Spencer was telling Dave about something he learned on his hike the first day:

The program is just two mornings a week, so he still goes to his Montessori school two mornings as well. The only downside? His old school is now "boring" (direct quote). But we told him that maybe he can bring new ideas to the old school and make it more exciting for everyone. He likes that idea.