A New Village Family
Q&A with Becky W., Parent of Sparkly Diamond Joslyn
Tell us a little about your family.
Hi! We are Ryan and Becky Wallace and our daughter Joslyn is in Ms. Lori’s Sparkly Diamonds kindergarten class. Ryan has lived in the Bay Area since he was three years old, and I have been here for about twelve years. Ryan is a diving coach at Stanford and I work from home for a VC firm called Floodgate. In addition to Joslyn, we have a daughter, Quinn, who is almost three years old. We are excited that she will be attending Village in a couple of years and we don’t have to go through that intense lottery situation again!
A few things that we love to do as a family: play board games, arts n’ crafts are our jam, ride any and all roller coasters that the girls are tall enough for, play soccer, and ride scooters.
Fun fact: Ryan is half English and half African American and I am half Korean and half Caucasian, and that makes one perfect mix!
What brought you to Village?
The close-knit community and family vibe are some of the top reasons we were drawn to Village. I remember when it was time to register Joslyn for TK, I already had it in my mind that I wanted her to be at Village for her elementary years. Joslyn loves to learn and has such an excitement about school, and yes, academics are extremely important, but so are the arts. We wanted her to have the same experiences in school that we were fortunate to have, but unfortunately most public schools do not have all the art programs in place anymore. Knowing that she gets to enjoy art class and music and PE and Centers weekly is a huge plus in our books! That is rare and we are blessed!
How prepared were you for the transition to kindergarten?
The transition to kindergarten went smoothly for Joslyn since she attended TK at Lynhaven. Her teacher was amazing and really helped prepare the class for kindergarten. Since we already had one year of elementary under our belt, I thought that tears (on my end) would’ve been so last year, but of course this momma bawled her eyes out… after leaving the class of course. :) I’ve come to the conclusion that this will happen. Every. Single. Year.
How would you describe your first couple of months?
The first couple months were a bit overwhelming — not for Joslyn, but for Ryan and me. There was so much information coming at us left and right and it was so much to take in. We were in a new environment where we really didn’t know anyone and learning all the amazing things that make Village, Village. It was information overload. But after the first month, everything really seemed to fall into place and it now feels like we’ve been at Village much longer than just a few months.
Joslyn’s experience the first couple of months has been nothing but positive. She comes home everyday with new and exciting stories, and at bedtime she always remembers ‘one last thing!’ She really seems to be thriving in Ms. Lori’s class and overall is having such a blast!
What have you most enjoyed so far?
We have really enjoyed seeing Joslyn so happy at her new school. She was devastated to find out that she would not be returning to Lynhaven and we had such a wonderful experience there. It was tough to see her so sad. She was torn the first week — she liked Village, but she also wanted to be back at her old school. Now though, she just can’t get enough of Village! We are so grateful and thrilled that she really just fits in so well.
What have you been most surprised by?
How much activity happens in such a small space! When we toured Village, I was actually a little concerned about how small it really is. But now that we are here and I see everything firsthand, I am amazed by how it all just clicks. I was so nervous for Joslyn to be at recess with the whole entire school, but now I think it’s so wonderful. I don’t think I would feel comfortable with this scenario at any other school. She loves to eat lunch and hang with the big kids and I have seen how sweet and attentive they are to all the lower grades.
What are you most enjoying about being part of the Village community?
We are really enjoying the environment of the Village community. Since we are a new family and probably looked like lost souls the first couple of weeks, the support and kindness that has been shown to us is refreshing. You don’t really see that at other schools, but people at Village really do seem to look out for one another.
What are you most looking forward to this school year?
We are really looking forward to seeing Joslyn continue to grow as an individual. It’s amazing to see her growth in just these short few months and I can’t even imagine what she will be like at the end of the school year. We are also looking forward to continuing to get to know the other families, old and new, and building strong relationships for years to come.