How this year has flown! It is hard to believe that I've got a 4th grader and a 1st grader, that our years of having a house full of "littles" are so irrevocably past. Yet here are my two big kids, all legs and long arms and lean faces, confident in their school-age selves.
Yesterday was exciting and fraught, full of pictures and parties and hugs and high emotion. We walked to school as a family, with great ceremony and much photography.
September:
And we picked them up together too, and lingered on the playground til it was empty, with more photos and excited conversations throughout, before heading home one last time for this year...
Then we headed straight to the JCC pool (per kid request) and it was a great summer jump start for sure. A little chilly out but fine in the sun, and one positive thing about having two official "big kids"? Off they went to swim on their own as the adults (quite literally) lounged on the pool deck. I am seeing many afternoons of poolside reading in my summer-future....
After a late dinner at McDonalds we found ourselves back home with two exhausted, overwrought children, each of whom proceeded to spend part of the evening sobbing uncontrollably Jack: couldn't figure out a math problem. Ivy: Jack rolled on her hand when we were having a snuggle. Both: sad to see this school year end, and anxious about this time of change.... In retrospect, we might have overdone it a bit, with all the exclamations and celebrations and fun-fun-fun layered on top of so many emotions...
But! It was a day to celebrate! How could we not celebrate these children, who they are and what they've done and how beautiful they are in the June sunshine? Seeing them with their teachers, big hugs all around-- I could see their pride in how hard they've worked, the relationships they've built, the learning they've engaged in, the fun they've had.
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| Mrs. Morson |
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| Mrs. Reynolds |
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| Mrs, Bernard |
The tears at bedtime? Proof positive that it was a good year, and not one they want to leave behind.
A quick update on my two not-so-little ones as they finish their years:
Jack, age 8 and 3/4, finishing 3rd grade
Height: an inch above my chin
Weight: too much for me to lift!
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Toy or game: Computer- Roblox and King of Thieves (he and dad play together)
Favorite song: Rock music
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite Restaurant: Dewey's
I'm really good at: Games and Soccer
At school I liked: Social Studies
This summer I want to: Have fun
My good friends are: Brooks, Finn, Max, Greg and Ike
Math: so very proud that he has learned about fractions and geometry this year. (He noted in his journal: "I learned about geometry, which I knew nothing of. And fractions, which I also knew nothing of. And now I know all of those subjects.")
Award count: 4-- reading, citizenship, M&M (marvelous and Magnificent, from Mrs. Morson) and honor roll. Jack was also happy to achieve his goal of never losing a paw on his behavior chart!
Exciting news: Jack will be going into the self-contained gifted classroom at Boulevard next year. We are thrilled and happy for the path this puts him on, but apprehensive to see how he responds to new students in the class, being separated from some old friends, and being asked to do work that is not immediately easy for him. Fingers crossed!
Ivy, age 6, finishing Kindergarten
Height: Too tall! (up to my chest)
Weight: 45 pounds
Favorite Color: Gold
Favorite Toy: the stuffed beaver she got from the Boulevard Blast
Favorite song: Frozen
Favorite food: Mac N' Cheese
Favorite Restaurant: Dewey's
I'm really good at: Piano
At school I liked: Choice- writing center and blocks (so prolific at the writing center)
This summer I want to: relax and go to the pool
My good friends are: Violet, Itza, Amari, Jayden, Elise, Elizabeth, Ruthie
Reading level: B, emerging as a phonics reader rather than a word recognition reader, knows her short vowels and some blends, tends to make up her own words when reading rather than attempts to sound out. Enjoys using phonetic spelling to create her own independent writing which is adorable. (You seriously should have seen the pile of creations from the writing center that came home yesterday!)
Math: mental facts to 20 using counting on, can count by 2, 5, and 10 and do basic multiplication. Can write and recognize many two digit numbers. Writes a lot of numbers backwards but is an enthusiastic math learner.
Behaviorally she has been a kindergarten rock star, always getting her work ("Must-do's") done and getting to choice, and I think she only lost a paw one time. She tells us all the gossip about school, who does what and who is friends with who... so different from our reticent Jack! She was well -loved by her teachers and seems to get along well with many classmates. She is learning how to keep her "instructional" nature working for good, not evil! She played "family" at recess with Christian and Violet and had a "boyfriend" -- Jayden, who "is cute like me". Oh my....
Accomplishments: Learned to tie her shoes (yes!), had an art piece sent to the CH-UH art show, grew 2 inches, and has learned to ask clarifying questions about words she doesn't know (what does ______ mean? is a constant refrain these days). She continues to be a very verbal little girl and highly creative. Her academics will come with time!
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