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Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

I barely blinked my eyes, and another school year came to a close on Tuesday.

I’m starting to believe what older generations have said for a while now when they comment that time goes faster as you age. I sure think so.

I remember dropping Landon off for the first day of school this year.

He woke up early, ate his breakfast and we were off to school — probably the earliest we’ve been all year. Though not every morning has gone that smoothly, Landon loves school, and when we don’t have it, he misses it and asks when he will return.

He loves seeing his friends, paras and teachers, and I’d even go as far to say that he loves learning.

His teachers and paras have always gone to great lengths to find out how they can connect with him and how he is motivated in an effort to help him learn the best he can.

When Landon was in kindergarten, I remember thinking about what it would be like when Landon learned how to read. I wondered when that day would ever come.

Though it has taken time, I remember how thrilled I was last year when Landon’s teacher sent me a video with him reading various words.

This year, he continues to grow and is learning more and more words. Earlier this week, his teacher sent me a video of Landon reading sight words off the Smart Board.

She also went through a series of flash cards when I was at the school last week, and Landon was able to identify probably 90% of the words on the cards.

It hasn’t come easy, but he is making great strides.

It reminds me of the first time I saw Landon jump on a small trampoline in his early childhood classroom. I had never seen him do that before and was brought to tears by what may seem like a simple task to most.

It was a simple reassurance of what I already knew — that he can succeed — whether it’s learning to jump, writing his name or learning to read.

That’s the phenomenal transformation that takes place within the walls of schools and that’s the miracles that these teachers help bring about.

I know I couldn’t do their job, and I am in awe of those who do.

To the village that helps with Landon, thank you. I couldn’t be more thankful.

We’ve already started the countdown to the start of summer school, and then after that will be the countdown for the new school year.

In the fall Landon will be in fifth grade.

Only one more year, and it’ll be time to move on to the middle school — but that’s a column for another day.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Wednesday.