Here it is! Our brand spanking new neighborhood elementary school! Jaxon is SOOOOOOO lucky!!! During construction, the neighborhood was buzzing with talk of what features and technology the new school would showcase. The school district decided to embrace Green Building Standards, and the school has state-of-the-art technology. As we took our tour at the grand opening ceremony, I was stunned & I do mean stunned by how nice the school is. It could easily pass for a college campus!
Jaxon and I listened as our guide pointed out eco-friendly features like the reflective roof that would help keep cooling costs at a minimum and the cooling system that works by forcing air over a massive block of ice. The cool air is then circulated throughout the school. AMAZING!
The school has several collection ponds incorporated into the landscaping that will be used to water the organic and hydroponic gardens. The gardens will be planted and maintained by the students, and any produce they yield will be served in the cafeteria. Ok, I'm impressed!
The media specialists are still labeling and categorizing the library materials. Their workload was dramatically reduced thanks to the absence of textbooks. That's right, the students don't have textbooks. Instead, the students will use iPads. Yes, you read that correctly! Each student will be issued an iPad for the school year. This will dramatically reduce paper & textbook expenses. Jaxon whole-heartedly approves of this decision!
Speaking of technology, the media center features a TV studio where the students will produce programs and broadcast morning news reports in place of boring old PA announcements.
The Art Studio is stocked with creative materials and even has a kiln for firing pottery! I'm hoping Jaxon (and eventually his 2 brothers) will create some true masterpieces!
The school is divided into pods for each grade level. Every pod has a multi-purpose common space complete with community kitchen and computer stations. Smart screen technology was also incorporated. I'm telling you, I felt like I was touring a new community college not an elementary school!
In addition to the usual art, music, and PE classes, the students will have weekly classes in the LEGO Lab where they'll learn engineering principles. I think that last tidbit was the only thing to rival the iPad news. Those are the two key bits of information that Jaxon remembered from the tour. I, on the other hand, left the campus feeling overwhelmed by the knowledge that was swirling around in my head. Anh & I both attended private & public school growing up, but none of our collective experiences can hold a candle to the educational opportunities being presented to our children. I can honestly say that the scope is completely lost of these extremely fortunate children that will be attending the new school. As parents, we get it and will be forever grateful!
Jax made scaling the wall look easy! I watched as Baylor scurried up right behind him and thought to myself, "Oh, it must not be too challenging if a 3-year old can do it." Aunt Kelly assured me that my assumption couldn't have been more wrong. Combine the physical challenge with the endurance that the kids demonstrated by climbing for 2 straight hours, and you can easily see that they earned their birthday feast that followed!
Seeing Jaxon reach the summit in under 30 seconds left the entire group speechless, but only momentarily. Applause and cheers immediately followed!
After a little warm-up, Jaxon and several of the other boys moved on to the more advanced climbing walls. They showed no fear as they climbed to the top and rappelled back down. The testosterone was pumping!
Thankfully, there was also a little girl power on display. Aunt Kelly and "Auntie" G-Mac weren't going to be showed up by some little boys. They gave it their all, but in the end, acknowledged and their much younger competition might have had a leg up on them. Oh well, practice makes perfect, and everyone unanimously agreed that the climbing gym was worthy of repeat visit.
And, the boys seemed delighted to discover they were each leaving with party favor pails filled with rock climbing themed goodies.
With Jaxon's birthday falling on a Tuesday, we had to keep things simple and celebrated with a family dinner party. Brad came over and made one of Jax's favorite dishes, carne asada tacos. Yummy! Jaxon (with Baylor's help) selected a small birthday cake, and of course there were a few presents for our special boy to open (again, with Baylor's help).
Grant slept through the family photo, but I guess that's acceptable given his age.
Maybe Grant knew he was going to miss out on tasting the cake, and therefore, could care less about the festivities surrounding him. Jaxon, however, enjoyed every second of his day in the spotlight! He really does not shy away from attention. Must be the Capricorn spirit!
Yes, it was a festive day spent showering our oldest son with all the love and attention he deserves. Unfortunately, the day ended on a bit of a sad note. After I hugged and kissed Jaxon goodnight, I watched as he climbed the stairs to his room and heard him say to his dad, "I can't wait to be eight!" NO!!!!! Let's just slow down and enjoy seven! I already miss six!
