It’s Back-to-School time for the kids at Dorie’s Promise! This year we have 37 kids heading to 5 different private schools and our local public school. That’s a lot of lunches to pack, miles to drive, and homework to do.

New schools for the new year

The morning school runs are gonna look a little different this year for Oscar and Abel.  

Elizabeth, Sofía, and Estela will all be starting school for the very first time! Our cute little girls are heading off to school. They seem much too little to be heading up the hill each morning with backpacks and lunchboxes! The house is going to be quiet during the day without their giggles. At least we can look forward to a new wave of super cute pictures coming home each night from school.  

Jimena, Elizabeth’s big sister, is also heading to a new school this year. She’ll join a few of our other children at Verapaz, a special school offering individualized learning for children who don’t thrive in traditional schools. Our free spirit needs a place where she can be herself and get a little extra help. There’s no doubt Jimena will make giant leaps in learning once she feels at home in her new class. 

Big changes are coming for our oldest girls too. As we mentioned a few weeks, Myra and Aracely finished their general studies a few months ago and are excited to begin their specialized studies. For the next 3 years, they’ll focus on learning more about their specialized careers.

Homeschooling in the new year

Believe it or not, we’ll only have 4 children home during the day when school starts again. Sebastian and Santiago are still toddlers, so they’ll spend a little time each day with our teacher Jennifer, working on the basics—letters, numbers, colors, all the things they need to know before going to preschool.

Our sweet Dulce has some profound learning difficulties. For now, our teachers and psychologist work together to homeschool her, in hopes one day she can enjoy a formal school setting. Until then, she’s enjoying her Montessori studies and becoming more independent. Incorporating Montessori studies has produced amazing progress in both skills and confidence for Dulce. We’re thankful our team tweaked their methods to find what works well for her.

Efrain continues to light up our home during the days as well. He enjoys his special time with the Special Mothers during the day, listening to music and doing physical therapy.

Choices ahead

Brayan and Jennifer have a big year ahead of them. Brayan will finish his formal studies this year and complete a restaurant apprenticeship before graduation. Later this year, Jennifer will finish her general studies and then choose a specialization for her advanced studies, joining Myra and Aracely for the 2021 school year. Our kids have a big year ahead!