Schools Out!

It's finally Summer!

Brent's in Alaska . . . Finally had last day of school yesterday for girls. . . and it's at least 85 degrees and stinkin' hot!

Here are the end of the year highlights:

Flag Day
Camille won the 1st grade Flag Day essay contest and she read it for a school assembly.

We sang patriotic songs in the auditorium, marched in a parade with the school band around the neighborhood, and everyone wore the cool hat they made in class.


Or had been ordered from Oriental Trading, I guess.
I kept thinking, "This is so fun. Why didn't my school ever celebrate flag day?"

Till it dawned on me that I was never still in school in the middle of June.

Camille's teacher noticed Caroline dressed up too and coaxed her to join the parade.

Caroline loved marching along with the big kids but was nervous that it wasn't okay for nonstudents. She stopped several times to announce to whomever was passing, "But I am not in school!"

And while Brent was either in clinic in Buffalo (finishing up the spring term) or in clinic in Alaska (starting his externship), I soloed it through three separate award celebrations juggling a video camera, still camera, a 15 month old wild man, and a feverish Caroline. Luckily it was a 24 hour bug and not the swine flu that is making the rounds here in Western NY. A fifteen year old in the buffalo schools died from it last week.

Okay I hate to do this and Kennon told me not to because "It doesn't matter, Mom! " . . .

But here are the many awards heaped on the Casper children at the end of the year assemblies.
(Because -This is my only journal and winning awards is noteworthy!)

We love our kid's school because we stand out. We are different. My husband doesn't wear a wife beater tank top to every assembly. I don't have any tattoos. Nor do I bring every aunt, uncle, godmother, and cousin to hoot and holler when my 11 year walks across the stage with her 5th grade diploma. We have five kids all from the same father. . . .

And we know how to win awards.

I am proud of my little winners. But it's also a little embarrassing to be the Casper mom and know the other parents are sick of hearing "______ Casper" over and over.

Camille took home the 1st grade awards for
Citizenship, Music, and Physical Education
This is her second year in a row that her teacher picked her for top citizen. She is a sweetie. I told her it's my favorite award of all.

Savannah as always was the top dog. And she deserves it. She loves school and works hard.
Her awards were the Academic, Music, and Art awards.
She also was recognized for getting a 4 (top score ) on all the state tests. And a special mention for getting a perfect score on the science state test. Unlike Kennon, she didn't mind blog bragging a bit and told me that she had 9 awards total.

Kennon is done with grade school forever. She had a great last year winning the top class awards for Academic, Chorus, and Violin.
Kennon and Miss Clunie got along great. She's young and fashionable and best of all. . . loves to share. Kennon has some of her old purses and even her makeup.

Kennon soloed at her last orchestra concert. It is always pretty interesting to go from hearing her playing nicely at home and then hear the difference when the other 4 violinists join in for the concert and I hardly can make out a song anymore.

I know I am bragging again, Kennon. Then at her chorus concert she accompanied the choir on piano. This is pretty cool in grade school.

People at this school tell me my kids are so multi-talented. I just say,"Yeah, but you've never seen them play basketball." We don't play a lot of basketball around here. Actually none at all. We do play 4 square in the driveway, though.

But my favorite acknowledgement of Kennon was something I happened upon in the hallway.
I used to hate it that Kennon could beat me in a lap around the trailer. I've gotten over it. I am super amazed that out of slow Kashann could come fast Kennon. Well, at least compared to some anyway. Go Kennon!

I tell the girls to enjoy it while they can. We are moving in a year and they are likely to face stiffer competition in the future. On the last day Savannah poses with her summer instrument.

Savannah didn't get the oboe award. She actually should get the award for "Most Instruments in One School Year". She started out with oboe but we got sick of buying reeds every two weeks at $9 a pop. Then one day she got off the bus with a flute instead. She was ecstatic because this was the instrument she had wanted all along. But then after a couple weeks she started complaining that when she played she felt faint. Her teacher told her if she ever felt faint she should stop playing. So she did.

The next week she came home with this violin. This was in May. By then she was way too late to join the orchestra but they let her keep her violin free of charge over the summer so she can catch up. We shall see.

Another thing I like about this school is the staff. They make me want to work in a grade school should I ever get the chance to finish school and have a career. They seem to think that they work at the best school ever and all hang out like good old friends. Every year when I pick the kids up on the last day the teachers are running around with super soakers having their annual end of the year water fight.

I am looking forward to another Buffalo Summer. Perfect summers, if you ask me. Around here we start complaining if it get's above 85. It rarely does.