Mommy School Graduation Speech 2012

Today is the last Mommy School Graduation. "Mommy School", a term that has become part of our normal language that our friends and family hear. Over the years, our kids would say, "I go to Mommy School", as if it were an accredited preschool in some nice building. No, it was not in some nice building, it transcended into the hearts of our family and here is the story. August 2007, I had just had Kendall and Colin was 20 months old. At this point, I stopped working as a high school biology teacher, and began my journey as a stay-at-home mother. I quickly learned that the term, "stay at home", was not accurate. We rarely were at home. We started playgroup, gym classes, and art classes that filled our mornings. Afternoons were consumed by naps and diaper changes. In this new world of mommyland, I started hearing constant talk about preschool. I never went to preschool just half day Kindergarten so I was in for a learning curve. Now being that my profession is that of a teacher, I started asking myself questions like, "I stayed at home to be with my kids, so why send them off to school when I can teach them?" I also believe that quality education was the key and not quantity. Most programs wanted my toddler 2 or 3 days a week. I started these discussions with moms in our playgroup. Fate be it, three other moms had my same concerns and they happened to be teachers who had quit work as well. In January 2009, Sarah Mullins, Barbie Sheppard, Debbie Baltodano, and I sat down with a vision of forming a co-op homeschool preschool. Our kids would go one morning a week and would rotate each week to one of our houses. We would teach the basics of preschool, but also integrate science, art, drama, etc. Each mother had a special teaching talent. Everybody that knows me knows that I am a themed planner. So the moms graciously let me throw out ideas of a time schedule, lesson plans, and themes. A few weeks later, Camila, Colin, Blythe, and Spencer showed up for the very first day of Mommy School. Three and a half years have pasted: Spencer, Colin and Camila have graduated. Two new moms joined the concept and the cause, Erin Layne and Melissa Hillard. Kendall, Little Collin, Delaney, Kai, New Blythe, Rhett, and Lily have become students of Mommy School. I believe that our kids have benefited from the intergrated age ranges 2y-6y. The older ones have stepped up and helped teach the younger ones. I believe that they have enjoyed being in school with their siblings and friends. I believe they have benefited from having teachers/mommies with different passions and learning styles teach them. I believe we all benefited from hanging with our child's teachers', because we helped each other and gave feedback of our child's progress. Us moms have shared joys, heartaches, disappointments, concerns, and laughter. I must take this time to inject my story of Amelia. When we found out about Amelia, I was sad that she would not be able to join in mommy school like her siblings, because she would need to go to speech. Barbie was sweet to say that she would learn sign language if that's what it took. I also did not know how I was going to be able to keep Kendall in Mommy school this year and teach when I was taking Amelia down to speech school everyday. The moms stood behind my desire to teach my children and helped me get Kendall to and from their houses. They let me teach at more flexible times. They were understanding. They became my teachers. They taught me about friendship. They taught me about motherhood. They taught me about character. They taught me about love. I must also say thanks to the husbands for believing and entrusting in us the big task of teaching their children. So today is the last mommy school graduation. Some of our kids are moving into the school system, some are moving to other states, and for the time... it is time to move on. Our kids are too young to write a graduation speech, but if they could I believe this is what all eleven of them would say: Thank you mommy for teaching me. I will remember this for the rest of my life. You taught me that a mom can be smart, a mom can be fun, a mom can multitask, a mom can be strict, a mom can be loving, but most of all a mom should teach her child about life and I plan on being just like you mommy. I love all you guys and I will never forget your impact on my life and my children's life. Scarlett