Love makes world go round

Bienvenidos (welcome) to Joie de Vivre: Buckwalter Style: Love makes the world go 'round. So does ice cream, the beach, home videos, road trips, family & friends, and faith in a loving Heavenly Father.



Showing posts with label school last day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school last day. Show all posts

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Last day of school!

Our Elemetary School has a tradition of Field Day (photo below) where classes tie dye shirts in all the same color for unity and for fun. Then on the last day, the PTA hosts a big party, which free snow cones, hot dogs, bounce houses, water slides, hula hoops, jump-roping, etc.

School ended on June 5th and here is a re-cap of favorite teachers.
Nick had two teachers for 3rd grade. This is his homeroom teacher who taught Math and Science. She awakened a lot of curiosity in him and by the end of the year "Elementary school Math teacher" rose to the top of his list of Future Careers! Mrs. Rogers always inspired the kids, loved them and they knew it, and she made learning fun! We loved her and will miss her like crazy next school year!

I went up to Maddie's school on the last day to pick her up and we sought out her favorite teachers so I could get a photo with them. Who takes photos of kids in middle school with teachers? I DO! and why not? that is still a place where our children as super influenced and where they need an advocate, an inspiration, and a laugh now and then.
So here are three of Maddie's favorite 7th grade teachers:

Ms. Heinritz (Language Arts & Cheer Coach)
When she couldn't get me to let Maddie cheer (due to vocal nodules that Maddie has), she did get Maddie in her dual period L.A. class, which Maddie loved! This teacher is super enthusiastic, happy, cheerful, creative, and loving (wonder why maddie loves her??)

Mrs. Hill (Math teacher and future theatre teacher next Fall)
She loves Maddie and the 'Theatre' in them both is SO excited to pursue Acting and NYC (Spring Break) and UIL (University Interscholastic League) One Act Plays and the Middle School Musical this next school year. Maddie received so much help in math during lunch time from Mrs. Hill, for which we thank her! She loved the fact that Mrs. Hill speaks "hip" and that she laughs a lot, is sarcastic in a fun way, and that she is a theatrical person also.

Mrs K (Skills for Living teacher and Student Council Advisor)
Maddie is a big fan of FUN classes and this one was #1: cooking and more cooking. The kids learned about health and nutrition and child care among other things. We donated (or Fidelity's Charitable Gift Fund did via us) to her class for next year and she was so surprised (sports and band must get all the donations!) that she sent us a HUGE basket of Edible Arrangements....which Maddie and I have LONGED for when we see the store with it's huge fruit "flower baskets".  When we got it, we were so hyped up--we tore off the plastic, practically kissed the delivery boy and then dug in! Pineapple/strawberry-centered flowers are our favorite!!

Me and the PTA ladies (Kandi, Misty, and Lara) whom I have volunteered in several capacities with over the past three or four years. From Hospitality Committee to Reflections (Art Contest) and Arts in Education PTA Chair. I really enjoy being part of what happens in the schools, knowing the faculty and administration, and working with other women who like to help kids and like to help make FUN things happen at our kids' schools!

Ted on grilling duty for the elementary school last-day social.
Way to go Teddy B!

These heavy-hitters are neighbors and buddies: Dave & Dave. They and Ted grilled hundreds of hot dogs for the end-of-year school party. Ted has some great dad friends in the neighborhood. They all volunteer with WATCH D.O.G.S. which is a dad-orienteered nationwide organization that focuses on being present and hands-on at the kids' schools. So, Dave & Dave--they have helped us move, done yard work, installed Gladiator gear in our new garage, watched Nick (he is friends with their sons, both Nick's age) and have been the most pleasant and cheerful neighbors. We love them and their wives and their kids.

Nick grew a love of jump-roping this year when in 3rd grade they did a Jump-For-Life. He got 3 or 4 different types of jump ropes for his birthday earlier this Spring.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Fiesta for last day of school--

Nick's great friend (one grade younger) and neighbor, Garrett, invited him to a big last day of school bash at his house. This photo is from the Saturday before school was out at the community pool.
Nick rode his bike home on the last day at 12:15 and grabbed a towel and headed to Garrett's house. Two other boys were invited and his sister invited a few girls. The kids played beach-ball volleyball with a giant, easy-to-hit ball, boys vs. girls. Garrett's mom had made a music medley of High School Musical songs, Jonas Bros., Miley Cyrus and some other fun music from the movie Cars and other kids' shows. It was blasting out back. What ambiance!
Boys race for the ball--
Picnic-style lunch. Kate had prepared little PB & J sandwiches, grapes, strawberries and watermelon. Plus lemonade. It was so much fun and so relaxing to just watch the kids laugh and play. We love and appreciate this family's friendship and the fact that we're neighbors.
This 'cool' water "hot-potato-like" game meant that when the timer on this ball stopped ticking, the water balloon inside would bust! Everybody wanted it to burst when it was in their laps.
The ole' water balloon toss--Nick just missed this one!
Here he goes aiming for somebody: the toss turned into a water balloon fight. Then they got out the waterguns:
Is this a classic photo, or what??
I love it!
Nick's ready to fire away... then Maddie arrived (she got out at 1:15 an hour later)
Maddie was thrilled to get a gun and soak anybody who came near.
We thank Kate and her family for hosting us to such an exciting end of year party! She even made little strawberry cheesecake treats for the kids a more gourmet version for the moms! Deluxe!!!

Here comes summer--school's out!

Next to last day of school, Nick's class held the "Froggy Awards" which refers to his teacher being a TCU (Horn Frogs) graduate and volleyball player. The kids were advised to dress up and Maddie put Nick in this 'a la Jonas brothers' outfit, complete with black Converse, a silver chain necklace, black vest and pants, plus groovy sunglasses.
Here Nick and his football-playing buddy, Malik.
The boys in Nick's class (the 11 girls outnumber them by far)
Class awards (in the gym). Nick was honored for math, art, reading and _____ . He read around 5000 minutes this year! Way to go!
Here is Nick's class with Miss Harmon, his teacher. She is bright, strict, engaging and really asked them so many questions and had high expectations; they learned so much this year and we were thrilled to have her weekly communication, letting us know what they were working on in each subject. Every time we sat down to eat, Nick would say, "Hey, ask me my questions?" which she handed out on Mondays for the upcoming week...things about figurative language, science (rocks, plants, space), social studies (famous American explorers, artists, authors, etc), and math.
Nick and I after awards ceremony
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL:
Nick wore the same shirt he wore the first day, in honor of his teacher, who went to TCU.
Nick just won a dance contest they had (just for fun) with four perfect 10s!
Biking home for the last time! :)