Sterling

Sterling has been adjusting well to Tacoma.  He's always been enthusiastic about the move, from the day we told him the news.  It is a big adventure to him. 

We started right away trying to get him into Spanish-Immersion.  The website said they were full.  When I talked to the Tacoma Schools main office they said they were full.  But I applied anyway and after a couple of more phone calls found he got in.  He was hoping to go to school in English only.  He's been complaining about Spanish-Immersion.  But as soon as I found out, I started telling everyone and of course everyone was very excited for him, and he started to feel better about taking Spanish.  His Portland Spanish-Immersion was 80% Spanish.  Tacoma Immersion is 50%, which he likes much better.

We took him on February 1 to sign him up.  His school is beautiful!  It is only 16 years old, with a nice library and updated classrooms.  The school even got a grant and is hatching salmon in a tank in the hallway.  There are 250 salmon to check in on every day.  School was not in session that day, which we didn't realize, but we were able to sign him up to start Monday.  His teacher was there with her classroom assistant, and Sterling was able to have a tour and get to know them a little bit.

Sterling made a new best friend his first week at his school.  There is a child in his classroom whose best friend moved away a few weeks before and he and Sterling hit it off, immediately.  They play Spider Man and other super heroes.  Sterling will correct me if I say they "play."  He tells me they do serious business like fight crime and time travel, etc. 

Sterling has two other friends.  The first we met in Portland, and his family moved a year before we did.  So when it snowed the first two weeks we were here, Sterling played twice with his friend that he had met 2 other times in Portland. 

The next friend we met at the library.  We've been going to events at the library, because they are free and fun.  There are crafts or science activities or games.  Sterling really wanted to make a clock, so we went and did that.  As we were leaving another family was arriving, with a child about his age.  We saw them and waved and they were friendly.  We exchanged phone numbers and set up a time to meet.  It turns out this friend was home-schooled in English and Spanish and it wasn't going as well as hoped.  His mom asked about Sterling's school and 2 weeks later he is in Sterling's class.  So now the 3 boys are inseparable! 

I signed Sterling up with the Boys and Girls Club because they have drop-in days and I got a job where I would be filling in--a substitute activity director at a nursing home.  He loved the one day he went--they have snacks and crafts!  During orientation for that job, I got a call from another place I applied.  When I finally got through the next day, they were offering me a full-time job 8-4:30, m-f, coordinating hospice volunteers.  Of all the jobs I applied for, this was the one I really wanted.  So now I start on the 8th of April.  Sterling will do before care through the YMCA, which is right there at his school, and go to Boys and Girls Club after school on the school bus.  We are all very excited for the next step!