Nicholas finished 1st grade with a bang! He had so much fun in Ms. Chipman's class this year. I was one of the room moms and had fun too. She is such a special teacher, one of those individuals who is so passionate about what she does, and really loves the children in her class. His learning and growth this year was awesome to watch, we are so proud of how much he has achieved in first grade.
Here he is with Miss Chipman
She puts together a DVD video, which each student gets to take home, of pictures of all the students and their activities throughout the year. What a special treasure that is for us. To have this keepsake of my precious child, created by a favorite teacher, means a lot. After the video show, which the parents are invited to watch with them, we gave Miss Chipman and Miss Lawson a photo album that we put together of more photos of the class for them. Here they are opening the gifts
The room moms got gifts too - my friend Grainne and I had a great time with this class this year. These kids are so great, and really good together as a group. I am glad Nicholas will have these special children in his class as he grows up at LP. And as we reminded Miss Chipman, Grainne and I will be back with her in 4 years, this time with Katie and Brendan!
After some tears by just about everyone they were rushed by the whole class to give a group hug. It was really sweet to see how much these little guys really loved their teachers. Nicholas started crying the last week of school, and sobbed almost the entire day ... as did most of his class, boys and girls alike. I think they would all repeat first grade again to be with her one more year.
Now, 6th graders aren't quite as emotional as the little ones. These kids are on the verge of becoming teenagers (yikes!) and are more excited about the prospect of no school or homework for a few months. They also will see the same teachers for the next two years while they continue on in middle school, so the good-byes aren't as dramatic. Zachary will still see Miss Lopez in Spanish, but just not everyday in homeroom and religion. He had a GREAT first year of middle school, and except for that nightmare of a backpack, really got the hang of lockers, changing classes, etc.
Here he is with Miss Lopez
Zachary and Bailey are best buds .. these two are the most goofy/silly kids I know, but with the biggest hearts around
Now onto the most exciting part of the day: The awards ceremony. At the end of the year, each class gives out a few awards ... perfect attendance, Consistent Effort, Christian Citizenship, and Most Outstanding. There is also the induction into the CAR Star Hall of Fame. CAR points are given for reading books and taking a comprehension test on each. All the students do this as part of their reading grade, but those who get over 100 points in a year join this group.
So this year - again, both Zachary and Nicholas received awards!!
AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
- CAR Star Zachary ... 331 points - the most in the WHOLE school!! He is a reading machine
- Perfect attendance Nicholas
- Christian Citizen of the Year for 1st grade - Nicholas
- Principals Honor Roll - Zachary
- Most Outstanding Overall 6th Grade - Zachary
WOW
Could we be any more proud?! These boys just rocked it - I thought my face was going to crack from the huge smile all morning.
Here is Nicholas getting his big award ... with the principal, Father Vincent and Deacon Tony
And Zachary getting his:
And pausing to pose with Father and Deacon Tony
With the other kids on Principal's Honor Roll (which is 3.7 GPA or higher and a bunch of other requirements). Zachary had achieved this every trimester he has been eligible to. His goal is to do so every trimester until he graduates. You go Zachary!
So all in all, a wonderful school year. We are excited for summer, but I am looking forward to watching these amazing sons of mine continue to thrive and learn.