wrapping up another year

first day of school

yesterday i was printing pictures for my project life album and it hit me how fast this school year went by.  i remember the first day as if it happened last week.  bobby and i were getting ready to go to toronto for the film festival and the kids were excited about starting the school year and being with their friends again.  

i also remember what we hoped for this year, more peace, trying new things, being consistent and committed, being on top of it, having fun and letting go.  

their friendships grew stronger and said so much about who they are; honest, caring and supportive beings.  there was a mix of drama and emotion but they learn to get along and more importantly care about each other, so they work it out. big life lesson for sure.

 they were serious about studying. even if they left some things for the last minute. andrew learned about not just doing what is required but going beyond that to explore and learn and get the most out of the experience.

he worked as the teacher's assistant in humanities when they read the fellowship of the ring. along with his two friends he wrote tests and lesson plans using his extensive knowledge of tolkien and history.  this was a highlight of the year for him.

sofia worked hard on her reading and spelling.  it takes her a bit longer and she has to be patient and consistent but we saw a lot of growth this year.  what mattered most was that she wanted to improve and she worked hard at it this year. she would get frustrated sometimes but she never gave up.

this was the year sofia did a moon journal. she observed and recorded the phases of the moon for a month. i love that i have all three of the kids moon journals to look at now.  it's fun to see the differences and similarities in their work. 

they enjoyed going to school dressed up for halloween and having fun at the carnival.

she came to school as walt disney and nancy drew for her book report presentations.

and they showed their school spirit at sports day, super hero day and crazy hair day.

he concentrated on baseball but also stood out as a fast runner. we are considering switching him to track or cross country since it looks like his baseball career might be over.

she played soccer and volleyball for school. she isn't afraid to try anything and enjoys being a part of the team, even though it meant a lot of practice.

 sofia also spent her time participating in the school musical as young shrek. although she didn't have any lines, she took her part seriously and was excited to be on stage. we know this is something she will continue doing.

andrew went to all of the middle school dances and game nights. he took fencing and a gaming class as electives. he stepped out of his comfort zone a little bit more this year and i think found it's not such a scary place.

he went away for a week to catalina where he kayaked, snorkeled and hiked. 

she went away for the first time, closer to home and for only a few days. it was an adventure that she really enjoyed and can't wait to go back next year.

they presented their unit of inquiries at the end of the year as part of the ib program. this is going to happen a lot next year and we can't wait to see what they discover and learn.

the kids each got to spend time with their teachers. andrew had a game night with his friends and the technology teacher and she got to go horseback riding.

they spent a lot of time in the car together. when they weren't fighting they were playing cards, singing songs and making each other laugh.

 

it was a pretty awesome year for her. she is growing up into such a special person. i love how interested she is in school and how hard she works at doing her best - even when it doesn't come easy. i admire her outgoing personality and her genuine care and respect for her classmates and teachers.

 

and it was an awesome year for him. he is a quiet young man but a deep thinker who will take on any challenge. one of his teacher's wrote: He is always positive in class and his fun sense of humor makes the atmosphere better for all. 

next year will be his last year at cha and then he moves on to high school. hard to believe. but i know he's ready. the question is, am i?

goodbye school, hello summer

it's graduation day today.

we attended the commencement ceremony at school this morning and celebrated with graduates and their families as they move on to high school.  this is always an emotional time full of excitement and sadness. our school is a second home to students, many of whom started here at pre-school and will be moving on to a new school for the first time in 11 years!  it's tough to say goodbye. but it's exciting to see where they will go.

as chair of the board of trustees, bobby got to deliver a speech during the ceremony. my favorite line is the one at the end:

"Today, you are leaving CHA with more than a diploma.  You will carry the experience, the support, and the spirit of CHA with you, as you take on the next chapter of your life."

a unique part of the ceremony is that the teachers get a chance to introduce each of the students and say a little bit about who they are. it's a reminder of the connection they have made with the faculty throughout their years at cha.  and it makes the ceremony more personal.

then it was time to party.

this time next year we will have our own graduate. andrew is officially an 8th grader and sofia is a 4th grader. YIKES!

for now we will enjoy the first day of summer with friends and tomorrow we sleep in!

congratulations to this year's graduates and good luck in the future.

jordan's sophomore year

jordan is finishing up his first week of summer vacation. it's been an amazing year for him and it's hard to believe he is halfway through his high school career.

we were talking the other day on the way home from swim practice and i asked him if there was one word that he could think of to summarize the year. he said it was commitment.

he showed a tremendous amount of commitment in everything that he did and he has a productive year to show for it.

his first day as a sophomore feeling a little more confident and comfortable. he carried a tough course load and excelled and struggled this year. he maintained a high gpa and received maxima cum laud honors at the end of the year. we always joke that the academic portion of his day is smaller than the extra curricular part of his day. but he takes his studies seriously, always has. he knows that school is the most important part of his time at nd.

 his heart lies with the band. through summer band camp and long rehearsals he absolutely loves being a part of this amazing organization. there was a new band director this year and things changed a little bit. but jordan was committed to learning the pieces and worked hard to keep the program up to the high standard that the previous director had created.

he went to every football game, parade and festival and took each one seriously. these kids work really hard and sacrifice a lot of free time to be a part of the band.

his pride for what he does is impressive. he goes to the band room any time he can to practice, and it didn't go unnoticed.

he is waiting to hear from the teacher if he will get the lead snare spot next year. it's looking promising but he hasn't gotten the final word. either way, we look forward to hearing him play the nd victory march again.

he was committed to the water polo team. he went into it hoping that it would be a positive experience. it stinks that water polo and football are during the same season. his responsibilities to the band made it hard to do both. he would sacrifice a band practice to be at a water polo game and vice versa.  the games were exciting and he definitely improved over the season but his heart was just not in it. he couldn't wait for the season to be over. he told me that water polo taught him what it meant to work hard and to give 100% every time. we would have pep talks along the way, especially when he was disappointed by his performance or his feedback from the coaches. it's a tough sport during a tough time. he's happy he did it but he's even happier it's over.

swim team was a different story. this year he saw it as something he wanted to do instead of something he had to do and he saw big changes. i think a lot had to do with the friendships he made on the team. but he was more serious about swimming this year and about setting goals and working toward them. he pr'd in all of his events and hopes that qualifies him to be on varsity next year. he never missed a practice and kept going after the season ended. he even asked to join a swim club so he could train during the summer and fall. we are looking forward to seeing what he accomplishes next year.

he spent hours in the winter perfecting his twisty puzzle skills. he wanted to enter some rubiks competitions to see how he did against the big guys, and some small guys. this is his time on a 2x2 puzzle. the 3x3 one takes him a little longer to finish, 18 seconds.

 he committed to going through the confirmation program at church. he wasn't always on top of the meeting dates and requirements, and it took some reminding, but he made it through.

i think what really stood out for him this year were the friendships he made. he found that group of friends that support and encourage and cheer each other on. it was so fun to watch.

and in his free time(?!) - he committed to playing with encore, the band he has with his cousin. they didn't play many events but the corechella event was the biggie. they were so excited to get to play at chris' high school fundraiser and they sounded better than ever. chris graduated from high school this year and is moving away to college. it's going to be hard on them to have to split up the band but we know there will be a reunion show when chris comes home.

he took a practice test for the sat's and then he started getting letters, brochures, post cards and mailings from colleges. i had to pull this one out of the stack because well, it's stanford. he hasn't been thinking much about college until now. he knows that next year he will have to focus on where he wants to go and what he wants to study. it's all so exciting yet nerve racking. hopefully we will find a way to make it easier on all of us.

and this year he was just a teenager. playing video games, sleeping in and listening to his iPod. he still likes to hang out with us and talks to me about his day. he stays home when he's not at school but i can see that changing in the next two years.

this summer he is swimming, drumming and marching in the back yard. he already has assignments for his ap classes and he hopes to get his driver's license.

looking through the photos of the year i realized how quickly time passes. i am doing my best to enjoy every moment but i know the next two years will go by so fast.