PreK & Second Grade Favorites

We wrapped up two great school years last week.  This very uncertain school year held lots of ups and downs, but we made it!!  Our kids were learning in person the majority of the time and I'm thankful for that.  I wasn't the biggest fan of all the new rules, but we followed them in the name of our kids being AT SCHOOL and LEARNING IN PERSON.  

Both kids had to miss their last days because they got sick - boo!!  Olive was devastated.  She loves school so much.  It was hard, but we can do hard things!  Fletcher is pretty easy going so he took the news easier than Olive.  I was sad he missed out on having any sort of Pre-K graduation program so we took some cap and gown pictures at home.  We are thankful for a year full of mostly sweet memories. 

Olive's 2nd Grade Favorites:

1. I met one new friend.

2. I earned the most Reading Counts Quiz points for my whole class.

3. I loved reading new books - Rainbow Magic, Magic Tree House, etc.

4. I loved getting to try school lunches.

5. It was so fun to use my whiteboard.

6. I got my own Chromebook that I could take home.

7. I won Artist of the Month from my art teacher.

8. I won a medal for my writing.  That was my best day!

9. I LOVED talking with my friends Lilly and Rylan.

10. Field Day was AMAZING!

 

Fletcher's PreK Favorites:

1. Playing outside

2. Eating lunch at school

3. I loved being line leader.

4. I loved learning The Pledge of Allegiance.

5. I loved my teachers Ms Abbey and Ms Crystal so much.

6. I practiced my name.

7. I learned about hibernating, plants, ABCs and the planets.

8. I had fun with Miriam.

 

Mom's recap of the 2020-21 school year: 

I really missed being in the kid's schools this year.  Usually I'm their class room mom.  I try to help out the teachers as much as possible, coordinate all their parties and am there as much as I can.  This year I never got to set foot in Olive's classroom and I got to walk Fletcher into his class twice.  That's a hard pill to swallow.  It was a challenge all year to connect with friends and parents in our classes because we just never saw each other for any length of time.  

Olive: 

She kicked off second grade going every other day and having to wear masks in August of 2020.  After just a few weeks of that the kids got to return to in person learning five days a week.  This was a huge relief to us because virtual learning was no substitute for in person learning.  It was the difference in a packet of worksheets, websites and way too much screen time for Olive vs real learning and interaction with teachers and peers.  She really missed learning with her friends and all her teachers - classroom, art, PE, music and the other adults she loves at school.  

She was out of school for a long time from Thanksgiving through the New Year in 2021.  School resumed.  I hope that she always remembers the highlights from this year and that the memories of hand sanitizer, distancing and masking fade away.  She never got very sick, had close contact or was quarantined and I'm thankful for that.  We kept her home at any sign of illness and I think most people did the same with their own kids.  Winning a writing award and the Artist of the Month award from her art teacher, getting her own Chromebook and hitting big goals with her reading were all highlights of her year.  While the masks never eased up, some of the other strict rules did.  We're hopeful to see the rules easing up in Indiana and are excited to see what that means for third grade in the Fall.

Fletcher:  

He wasn't able to start Pre-K until October of 2020 instead of September.  Masks were optional for the preschoolers and we opted not to send him in one.  He was nervous about going to school for the first time, but he quickly fell into a great routine of learning with his friends.  Being assigned a daily job, following school rules, loving his teachers and making new friends were the highlights of his year.  He had a long break from Thanksgiving through the new year.  

When school resumed in 2021, the school had a new rule - all kids had to wear masks.  I cried about this, wrote emails about this decision and ultimately left it up to him to try out.  He made it work because he loved school and loved his routine.  I wish he would have been able to breathe easily this year and not have to fuss with a mask all day while he was trying to learn the foundational things for school.  They did temperature checks at drop off and were strict about staying home with any signs of sickness.  His teachers were wonderful.  Fletcher made good friends.  He's very social and silly.  He knew everyone by name, would greet them all at pick up and always hugged his teachers.  He even has his eye on someone to marry :)  I'm really thankful he was able to go to school and play and learn with his friends this year.  I hope he always remembers the highlights of his Pre-K year.  He's headed off to Kindergarten in the Fall with Olive.

How did this school year go for your kids??  I know it was a really hard year for so many.  I hope and pray that they made it through in good spirits, can enjoy summer and that school in the Fall will feel normal for all of us!!

These 3 are ready for Summer!!  We signed up for the Pizza Hut Book It reading program as well as your local library's Summer Reading Program.  We got to pick out free books yesterday.

 

Linking up with Momfessionals