The Bridge to Beyond

When I look back at the 10 years we've spent at our elementary school, from preschool to 5th grade for both our daughters, I'm flooded with love and pride. Our oldest Beatrice and youngest Bryce, just under two years apart in age, both started at Bridges to Kinder, the preschool and pre-K program onsite at our school Westlake Elementary. 

Early on Bea struggled with auditory processing delays and a social angst, and we couldn't be more grateful to all the support we received then and throughout her elementary years. Now in middle school, she thrives academically and socially with a growing confidence as a leader. 

Early on Bryce struggled with exotropia, a vision problem where one eye migrates outward and binocular vision can be difficult. Our eye doctor at the time wasn't sure she'd need eye surgery in the future or not, and to date we haven't had to do that. She definitely still has it, but her eyeglasses have helped over the years. She also thrives in school and is excited to join her sister in middle school next year. 

For the past 10 years, my wife Amy and I have dropped off and picked up Beatrice and Bryce to and from school countless times. We've done classroom volunteering, dance assemblies, band, back-to-school barbecues, school auctions, science fairs, an overnight trip, and so much more in between. Amy was also in PTA leadership for five years.

Everything was humming along nicely until March of 2022. COVID-19 really impacted our school, as it did many schools everywhere. Having to distance learn sucked for the teachers just as much as the parents and children. I remember early on in the pandemic when we all thought (and hoped) that we'd only be out of in-person school for a few weeks. At the end of the school year in June 2020, our school teachers and administrators drove around neighborhoods in parade-like fashion to wave at all the kids and parents. That was bittersweet for us all, and little did we know it would be over a year later until we went back to in-person classes. 

And then at the end of 2021, one of our beloved teachers died suddenly. Bryce had her as a teacher for the kindergarten-1st grade combination class. When I asked Bryce what she remembered the most about her teacher, she said she remembers how she always helped kids smile and laugh, especially those who were having a bad day. 

Finally the long-awaited back-to-school barbecue happened this spring, the first time since 2019. I helped to organize the barbecue and was the emcee, which I had done before and loved. However, this time I had no idea how to reconnect the speakers or the mic. Finally, the school principal came over and helped me reconnect the speakers. I joked that it was way above my pay grade, and he joked that I was only supposed to be a supervisor anyway, not the AV tech; that was his job. We laughed and were just in time for me to welcome everyone. 

There are still a few more end-of-grade-school-era stories to come, but in the meantime, I think back to when our kids crossed the tiny bridge at their preschool graduation ceremony symbolizing the crossing into kindergarten and beyond. And now we're on the bridge to beyond for Bryce finishing 5th grade and  joining her sister next year in middle school. We're so grateful for all the wonderful and caring teachers we've had here, the empathic school staff and principal, all the friends our kids have made and the dear friends we've made these past 10 years. Blessings to you all.