Before I move on to the end of the school year festivities that happened in the past week I'd first like to recap a little on the accomplishments that each child achieved.
Alyssa: Alyssa really shined this school year. I think that having her in a split class that consisted of both first and second graders really allowed her the opportunity to grow both intellectually and physically. For her accomplishments this year well there wasn't very much that she didn't achieve. Early on in the year she'd maxed out the scores on the standardized reading test that is given to all children K-3. She has developed a real talent for writing stories and problem solving. She's learned to push herself a little more physically and not to let her small size hold her back. She learned to tie her shoes, tried ice skating, advanced in ballet and began competitive sports. She maintained straight A's on her report card all year long both academically and in conduct and has earned herself a spot in the ABLE program for next school year. Of course there are many more accomplishments and goals that she has set for herself personally and it amazes me every day to see her work towards and reach them. She is an amazing little girl with a huge spirit and an even bigger heart and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her.
Dalton: Freshman year in high school is always one of the roughest years for kids. This is the year where you really begin to make that transition from being a young kid to being a young adult. It is also the year where you begin to make decisions that will affect your future in education and a time where you begin to discover yourself. In no way was this year with Dalton a breeze but we successfully got through it. The rockiest part of the year for Dalton has been not having enough of a challenge when it comes to the classroom and because of that lack of a challenge he had moments where he became lazy and disconnected from his work and allowed his grades to drop. In the end though he always pulled through, brought his grades back up and got the job done. On his TAKS tests while his scores in reading were just above the average mark for passing his scores in Math were well above the commended scores of 2400 and he finished with a score of 2815. In JROTC he found his place on the Orienteering Team as well as the Rifle Team and while he didn't earn any medals or win any competitions he managed to prove to himself that if he really wanted to do something he could not only do it but he could also complete it. Within the first month of being on the Rifle Team he managed to earn the Expert Marksmanship medal for being an excellent shot and after competing in three Orienteering Meets he earned himself an Orienteering ribbon as well as an Orienteering Rope. In addition to being involved with the JROTC he also spent a little time as a member of the Revolutionary Writers Club which is a club designed for students who enjoy writing. By the end of the school year he'd earned for himself the rank of Corporal in the JROTC, improved on his time when running a mile, and successfully managed to pass all of his classes along with the TAKS and earned the reward of being able to participate in the OFYP (optional fiscal year program) which allowed him to leave school eight days prior to the official end of the school year. In the fall he will be a sophomore and I can't wait to see what goals and achievements await him.
Now, for the end of the school year activities. Of course for the high school students the only thing they received was the ability to leave school eight days early as a reward for a job well done. So there's really not too much to report there. But for the elementary students, well the end of the school year is quite different.
On Tuesday May 31st Alyssa's school held their annual "Play Day" for the students. This is a day that is dedicated to allowing the students to spend the entire day outdoors with their classmates. The entire park behind the school is transformed into a huge obstacle course of stations that are numbered. Each station represents a different physical activity for the children and are often times designed to be competitive. Each class is then given a schedule showing where they are to begin and at what times they are to participate in which station. Of course parents, relatives and siblings are encouraged to come out and participate with the students and just have an overall fun time. This year the kids participated in events such as noodle wrestling, hula hooping, tug of war, relay races, an inflatable obstacle course and much much more. While our time at the play day was shortened due to an orthodontic appointment, Dalton, Cayden
On Wednesday June 1st Alyssa's teacher, Ms. Smith, held their classroom awards ceremony. With it being her last day at the school she wanted to be sure that she was able to give each student their certificates personally. We found out just the Friday before that Ms. Smith was leaving our school and will be teaching at another school in a district that is just outside of Waco, TX. Her fiance was offered a position as a D.A. in the city of Waco and the school that she will be teaching at she feels will allow her to make a great difference in the lives of their students. Of course we wish Ms. Smith all of the luck in the world at her new school and in everything she does in the future. She is a great teacher and will be missed by all that knew her at McKenzie.
For awards students were given certificates of achievement for perfect attendance, A Honor Roll all year, A-B Honor Roll all year, Citizenship (A's in conduct all year), etc. Then Ms. Smith threw in some personal certificates of achievement for each student. These certificates were for creativity, math skills, excellent handwriting, critical thinking, writing (stories, poems etc.), best smile, most colorful etc. As for Alyssa she was awarded a certificate for the A Honor Roll, Citizenship and being a great critical thinker.
So now the school year is over, the summer is here, and we can't wait to see what the 2nd grade has in store for Alyssa as well as the 10th for Dalton. What a great year this one has been!
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