End of the Year Awards and Last Day of School

As the school year comes to a close, it gets crazy busy with end of the year parties, awards ceremonies, last sports games and activities, rehearsals, recitals, gifts for teachers, farewell parties and I CAN NOT wait for it all to be over.  Don't get me wrong.  I love all the hullabaloo that comes along with ending the school year but I have had Summer Fever since Spring Break.   I am so excited to sleep in, have pajama days, swim all afternoon, stay up late watching movies, play outside until it gets dark, throw out the schedules and taxi service, and just enjoy being with my kids.

Since we missed the boys' end of season sports parties due to Katelyn's dog bite incident, we had two things crossed off our list already.  The next item on the To Do List was the Awards Ceremony at the elementary school:

Here is Clark, giving his last welcome speech as Student Council President and leading the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance

Clark and Mitchell, great friends and classmates

Clark waiting to receive his awards from Dr. Zaki, principal, and Mrs. Cooper, asst. principal

Mrs. Berman, G.A.T.E teacher, and Clark

Clark received the Triggs Award, Student Council President Award, and Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence

Sara and Katelyn, great friends and classmates

Katelyn, waiting to receive her Triggs Award from Dr. Zaki and Mrs. Cooper

On the last day of school, the kids got out around noon, so Carlee and I arrived at 10:30 to take pictures of the kids with their teachers and friends.  We also brought in Thank You gifts for the teachers and helped with the class parties that were going on.  For Teacher Appreciation Week, we gave each teacher an apron with the school's name stenciled and glittered on the pocket.  They were so excited to use those for school crafts and parties.  For their "Thanks for being my Teacher" gift, we got them pizza stones, pizza cutters, and cheese graters.  They were ecstatic and all of them love to cook so it was perfect.  In fact, Jake's teacher said her stone had just broken a couple of weeks before and Clark's teacher makes pizza every week without using a stone so she was excited to use her very first pizza stone that night!

Mrs. Leppert and Jake

Jake and his friend, Brooks

Jake with his friend and our back-door neighbor, Kaleena.  I can't remember the other boy's name but he really wanted a picture with Jake so we took one!  I love that when I have my camera all the kids want me to take their picture!

Loading up at the Ice Cream Sundae table

Even Carlee got to participate

Kaleena and Chase are enjoying their ice cream too.  Chase is Kaleena's little brother and just younger than Carlee.  We see those kids almost every day yelling for our kids and climbing our wall to play.

Katelyn and Mrs. Brock, who taught her the first half of the day

Katelyn and Mr. Harenberg, who taught her the second half of the day

 Here is Katelyn with Reagan and Sara, both classmates and friends from our ward.

Here is Ryan, friend, back-door neighbor and Kaleena and Chase's big brother.  Very ironic that both kiddos had injuries on their left arms.

Some crazy Third Graders

Katelyn and Mrs. Crawford, the librarian

Katelyn and Ms. Friend, the music teacher

Katelyn and Mia

A bunch of cute Third Graders and friends--Aspen, Audrey, Katelyn, Reagan, Sara, Mia

Clark actually had a hard time on the last day of school.  He loved Mrs. Schrumpf so much (and I did too) and teared up when he gave her a hug.  After hugging her tightly, he hurriedly walked away so she wouldn't see his tears.  I asked him if he wanted to get any pictures with his individual friends but he kept shaking his head and refusing.   When we drove away at the end of the school day, Clark looked out the window to the front door of the school and I heard him whisper, "Goodbye, Triggs."   It was another new school for our kids (4 elementary schools in 5 years) and everyone was a little nervous at first but it turned out to be a wonderful year and the school and its faculty has been amazing.  We have been very pleased and look forward to next year.  Although Clark is definitely excited about starting middle school, he got really sentimental about all of the memories that he has made this past year as a fifth grader. It's going to be a big change for him from being the big man on campus sliding down to the bottom of the totem pole in middle school.  I got a little choked up myself at seeing my son's emotion.  He is definitely growing up and moving on to the next phase of his life and it's hard on all of us. 

Mrs. Schrumpf and Clark

Mitchell and Clark

A bunch of crazy Fifth Grade boys way too excited to be in middle school next year