Franny has been back to school for nearly a month, now.  She's been having a lot of fun, and when I approach her at just the right time, she has been open to talking about her school days.  I hear most about PE (her favorite, I think), checking books out from the library, and Big Buddies (she has two this year!).  I do know she likes her new teacher, as well as her reading and math groups, and likes being in one of the upstairs classrooms.  But, with all she does share, there is so much that I just don't get to hear about.  This is one of the reasons that I love to volunteer in her classroom. Even though it's for only short periods of time, I do get to see her materials, listen in on their activities, meet the other kids, and see some of her work. It definitely enhances my understanding of what she is doing and what her environment is like.  Last year, I volunteered twice a month, but in the end I was disappointed I wasn't able to do more.  This year, I am excited to be volunteering on a weekly basis.  Today was my first day.  Although I spent my time doing materials prep, I was able to listen in on their discussion about the Statue of Liberty and see their new math packets, as well as this cute self-portrait she made.  I have a really good feeling that this is going to be a great year for Franny!