End of Year Tidbits

 After graduation on Wednesday morning, the sixth graders only had to check into school for a half hour on Thursday and then were dismissed for the year.

They signed yearbooks, took photos and looked through packets of paperwork the school office had saved for them - a year-end reflection they had written each year, kindergarten through sixth. Sniff! Reading those was hard work for this mama to get through!

Elaine thought to get this sweet photo of these graduates - Talan, Sophia, Sophi, Violet, Vivi and Cora.

 All done, all done, all done.

 All done... for two months.

Violet and I went to the end of school picnic at the park, and Vi and Melanie posed at the photo backdrop. 

Elaine, Vivian and Sophi stopped by with an adorable surprise gift for Cora - snack items, with a poem that related to each item.

End of Third Grade!

 Sandy and I planned a very simple, old-fashioned last-day-of-school party for Mrs. Breneman's class, with water games.

Here, they're playing "Duck, Duck, Goose" with water balloons - the "it" person chooses a "goose" by breaking a water balloon over his or her head.

Violet's "it"!

 Break time for popsicles! Violet and Victoria have been close the last few months.

 Next was a water balloon toss.

Then, we had a game of hot potato, with water balloons. And then, naturally, a water balloon fight.

 Someone got a bit wet!

Ready, Aim...!

And then, we played a rousing game of "pick up the tiny bits of colorful rubber from the grass," before one more popsicle. A half hour later, the kids were dismissed and school was over for the year!

Recorders and Greeks

June started with a bang for us, with a busy two school weeks ahead. On Monday, Violet took played in the third grade recorder concert, and played very well.

Violet really enjoyed learning the recorder this year, and took it seriously. Unfortunately, she now says she doesn't want to continue in orchestra next year.

Later on Monday afternoon, the 6th graders presented their Greek Wax Museum, where they all wore togas and brought a famous Greek persona to life.
Cora is lying down in the front, on the right side.

Here, Cora listens to Sophia presenting her character. (Their tennis shoes really complete their outfits!)

And here, Cora presents her character, Thespis, to Sue and Yass. Thespis is known as the creator of acting and theater.

Here's Cora listening to Violet.

Grandpa was able to come by and hear Cora's speech, too.

We proudly present Thespis!

School Tidbits

Our school's third- through sixth-graders have been taking the state tests the past couple of weeks, and Violet was a bit nervous on her first day, since it was her first time. She decided to take with her the clay dragon that our friend Lucas made her for her birthday.

At the school's volunteer tea, besides enjoying many tasty treats, we were asked to write on a hand our name and the ways we've helped out at school. This week, I noticed the lovely billboard the librarian made from the hands.

I noticed the bottom had flowers with some of our active student leaders - look at this one! My favorite student council member...

And here's my hand/leaf.

This week was the McTeacher night at McDonald's, when teachers show up to help serve as a fundraiser. It was fun to see Mrs. Hawthorne...

...and Dr. Porter. Such special ladies in my girls' lives! Then, speaking of school volunteering, I got the girls home to Stace, and went to a Foundation board meeting. All in a day's work...

School Tidbits

Every month, the girls' school has a "Family Flag Day," where parents can be present for morning ceremony. This coincides with Monday drumming, when 6th graders can grab a drum and welcome the students to morning ceremony. I enjoyed listening to the drumming this week, with Cora in the back row.

This week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and I helped Jen and Dinorah, the other room moms, decorate Miss Lotito's door. Here she is, with our kids, on Monday morning.

We also came up with the fun idea of creating masks of Bradley Cooper, Miss Lotito's favorite actor, for all the students to wear as a surprise for her. It worked like a charm! She absolutely loved her class full of Bradleys.

Violet was chosen to be a Kindness Ambassador for her class for the final month of the school year. She is very excited about this, and has meetings to go to on Thursdays. She's expected to be a friendly face, and someone people can go up to when they're feeling lonely. Yay, Vi!

Both girls participated in the school spirit day Friday, which was Hawaii clothing day. Cora, being on the student council that plans and promotes the spirit days, helped make posters for it. Here, she's wearing my Hawaiian shirt - we've reached that stage!

School Stuff

 Cora participated in her final GATE event of elementary school on Thursday, when she went to the district's cooking night. She teamed up with others from her school in a timed cooking contest using set ingredients, like on the TV shows.

 We noticed that most of the students were looking to Cora for direction - she is such a leader!

 Here's what they turned in to the judges.

 Cora wasn't thrilled with how they placed - second place in the presentation category. (There were four categories and three places per category.)

 In other school news, the children who complete their reading goals will take part in a dance party in June. I love the bulletin board!

Violet is the first in her class to meet her goal. Great job, Vi!

Musical Petting Zoo

Our school district offers an excellent music program, with weekly music lessons in the primary grades,and all third graders learning the recorder. Upper graders may learn an orchestra instrument and/or participate in chorus, with two concert performances a year.

When we were in Arizona on Monday, Violet's class participated in the annual third grade Musical Petting Zoo, where the kids can try out different instruments to see if they want to take lessons in fourth grade.

When I learned that she'd be missing it, I arranged with the music teacher and her own teacher to take part in a nearby school's zoo.

Violet got to try so many cool instruments! Above, trombone, and here, a baritone.

Cora's not-so-stellar experience with the violin colored Violet's view of it, but she gave it a go anyway.

Violet entered the day thinking she'd love the flute, here, or the clarinet.

But, she found through the experience that both were difficult for her.

But the trumpet! Now that was another story. She loved it! Listen below to her first time. She's going to sign up to try it out next year.

Valentine's Parties

A year ago, my girls were Valentine's Day party poopers. Neither chose to exchange cards with their classmates, and there were no parties for me to help plan or volunteer in.

But this year, the Valentine's spirit returned. Both actually created valentines for their classmates, and Cora's class had a party that I helped organize.

Violet made butterfly valentines out of cupcake liners - she did it one Friday evening a couple of weeks ago, when Cora and I were watching a movie that Vi didn't want to watch. I provided no help or direction whatsoever; she just took it upon herself to create these beauties.

Cora, meanwhile, took some soap-making supplies she received as a birthday gift from Vivian and made little soaps. She attached them to her Grumpy Cat valentines - the perfect choice for Cora!

Jen and I planned the party for Miss Lotito's class, and the kids painted rocks that they could have given to someone special (like Mom).

After painting their rocks, the kids had cupcakes.

Then it was time for a rousing game of tic tac toe, played on graham crackers with icing for the lines, and candy hearts for the pieces.

Cora's playing with her classmate Sawyer here.

I sneaked over to Violet's class for a bit, when it was my time to volunteer. I was in time to watch the kids, a few at a time, passing out their cards while they watched a Peanuts Valentines special.

Then it was back to Cora's class, where Jen and I treated the rocks with mod podge so they'd be weather-resistant.
It was a fun day, one I spent at school from 11 a.m., and I'll cherish these memories of helping in class for parties.

Daddy Daughter Dance

After a hard week of work it was time to relax. This weekend, the start of Cora's birthday celebrations, kicked off with a date night with the other young lady in my life, Violet.
I was hoping that both my girls would want to go to the annual Daddy-Daughter Dance at Meadows School but only Violet was interested. So, at 7:00 on Friday night, I slipped on my dancing shoes and accompanied my little girl to the social event of the year.

We arrived at school to a packed house. Violet met up with a few of her friends, and enjoyed being part of a conga line in between dancing with her old man. I use the term dancing very loosely here. I'm no Fred Astaire but I can definitely say that Violet does not have a clue how to dance. She pretty much used me as a human punch bag and climbing frame.

When the night came to an end it was time for all the dads and daughters to have a last slow dance. At this point Vi decided to flop all over the place, and when I told her to stop messing around, she went as stiff as a board and then started pulling faces. I do not have photos of this loving moment.

We had a good time together. There were cakes and cookies, a photo booth and free popcorn. Who wouldn't have a good time with those treats; and a lovely little girl like Violet to spend the evening with.