My 6th Grader Graduates

This last day of school was very bittersweet for me. My first baby graduating from 6th grade. Honestly, I just can't imagine how this is possible. Time goes way too quickly. 

He just started kindergarten it seems and here he is now...a young man getting ready to go to junior high. If I'm being honest, the pushing away from "needing" me the same as he has has been a little hard from me. Finding the right balance between holding on and responsible freedom is tough.

1st day of kindergarten~Aug, 2005



During a conversation recently, my mom said to me, "You have high expectations for Andrew."  I replied, "I always have." 

Now, the key is finding a way to allow him the freedom with accountability.  I jokingly say to him sometimes, "With great power comes great responsibility."  with his power being freedom.  See, this was a kid who loved Spiderman so much he'd just wear his costume, mask and all, to sit to watch tv or chase the ice cream man down the street.

This year he learned the value of homework and balancing school and friends. He learned how to stand up for himself with a bully and appropriately handle himself with difficult situations with peers.

6th grade was a big growing year.

For both of us.

Since he was in preschool, we have always signed "I love you" right before he leaves.
I can honestly only think of a couple times in all those years, he's forgotten. He actually asked me to take a picture of it this day. ♥  I love that he's never embarrassed to give me a kiss before he gets out of the car or sign "I love you" before he heads in the building.

In our elementary school, they hold a 6th grade graduation ceremony for families to attend. Reagan was able to be there during the school day as well which we were happy about.



They presented awards and certificates to the students as well as a video of the students set to music. Of all the kids in 6th grade, Andrew's was the only Halloween picture in there! I, of course, cried a lot. Tears started as soon as the 5th grade band began playing Pomp and Circumstance...

Andrew getting his promotion to jr high certificate

I really like that in this school, the 5th and 6th grade teams split the kids into groups and the kids see all 3 teachers for different subjects. They have one main teacher i.e. their homeroom teacher, but see the others as well.  It's a great way to introduce the junior high changing of classes.

Andrew and Mrs. G, his main teacher

Mrs. R

 Mrs. P

Andrew's dad and stepmom drove up from Nashville to be here for him too.  We headed to lunch after the graduation ceremony. All of us~George, Andrew, Lily, Reagan, Andrew's dad, stepmom and myself. Reag was allowed an excused early release from school to go and her mom agreed to pick her up at our house instead of after school.

Lily was in the most foul mood that she's probably ever been that day. {of course}

After lunch, he was heading back to Tennessee with his dad for some time together, so we snapped a few more pictures, said goodbye and just like that, 6th grade was over and Andrew was off for his summer adventures.

We are so proud of you, Andrew!

Last Day of School

My kids just know there will be pictures involved.  I make sure to remind them before they go to bed on days like today that they'll be getting up a little early to take pictures. Occasionally, I get a groan these days from Andrew, but it's brief and he knows it's pointless.

I love comparing pictures with the kids too. Although, they're not looking so drastically different from the first and last days any longer. Most of the "baby" has long since been lost from their faces.

They headed off that morning both wanting to ride the bus the last day instead of me driving them. They had their teachers' gifts in hand and off they went for their last school bus ride together.

That's a wrap on 6th and 2nd grades!

Last Day of Kindergarten

Today was R's last day of kindergarten.

Wow.

Here's this young girl who started out full of excitement for the 1st day and then JUST the moment before her dad and I were leaving, tears filled her eyes and she wasn't quite sure what to think to a more independent young girl proud of her accomplishments and looking forward to first grade!

Here's a pic from that 1st day:

She has learned so much and grown so very much this school year!

Her favorite book is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. We started out reading it to her, then she'd begin reading the sight words in it that she knew to finally reading us the entire story.  (Reading and writing is my passion as a teacher and it is just AWESOME to see it in kindergarteners when the lightbulbs come on for them!)

Her favorite special was gym because they do "exercises and fun things", she loved going outside for recess, she loved "Breakfast with Frosty" near Christmas. She loved addition and subtraction. At the beginning of the school year, Paula was her best friend and today, on the last day she says Aubrey and Allison.

Out of the mouth of R:

"I'm nervous that stuff is gonna be really, really hard in 1st grade, but I wanna be in this one teacher's class because if you get your tests right, she gives you 2 pieces of bubble gum."

"I'm gonna miss my classroom in kindergarten and I think my teacher was a good teacher because he teaches us a lot of stuff."

"How did kindergarten go so fast?"

Sounds to me like kindergarten worked out just fine for her. :)

We're very proud!