The Last Day of Kindergarten

Brandt's last day of kindergarten was on Friday.  I can't believe this school year is over.  How is it even possible?  Our boy will be in first grade!  Brandt had a wonderful year.  He is sitting next to me on the couch and he is going to tell us what he most liked about school.

"Recess.  I get to play outside."

That is all I was able to get out of Brandt.  But, he made good friends: Matthew, Hyrum, and Britton.  We also had Brighton come to play, and Davin, who lives across the street.  He learned how to better share and take turns, and work in a group with his classmates.  He also learned how to keep his hands to himself as he sat on the rug next to his classmates.

Academically, most excitedly for me and Kent, Brandt learned how to read!  It is wonderful for us to sit next to him and have him read to us.  In order to keep up the good progress he made during school, I went through all of our books and found a whole shelf-full that Brandt can read.  He will read a story to us each night as part of our story time.  Brandt also learned how to do math, addition and subtraction, he learned how to sort, how to make complicated patters, and how to write better.  It was a year of development and growth.

Mrs. Bigelow, Brandt's teacher, and Mrs. Moffat, the class aid, were so good to Brandt.  They were encouraging, loving, and kind, as well as patient, although Brandt very well well-behaved almost all of the time so it was easy to be patient with him.  Brandt loved this first year of school, and I give credit to Mrs. Bigelow for making it such a positive experience.

On the last day of school, there was a fun field day.  There were ten stations where the kids got to play a game.  There was a ring toss, an obstacle course, hoola hoops, bowling, bean bag toss, a parachute.  I did bowling.  Brandt came to my station last but didn't really get to do anything because a storm was blowing in and the wind was getting fierce, so we ended just a bit early.  I let him bowl once (he is my kid, after all), and then we went inside for graduation.

For kindergarten graduation, Brandt participated in a short but cute program.  The children did a square dance with a few steps.  Here were the "calls" in the dance: "right hands through" and then they took right hands and turned, "left hands through" with left hands and a turn, "both hands through" with a turn, "do si do" where they crossed their arms and circled each other, and then "head couple sashay down."  Brandt danced with Britton because the boy-girl ratio was not equal.  He told us Britton had to be the girl, but during the performance, Brandt was actually in the girl's line.  We didn't point that out, and although he is still sitting next to me, I'm not going to mention it today.

After the dance, each kindergartener took a turn saying, "Before I came to kindergarten, I didn't know (fill in the blank), but now I can."  Brandt's statement was, "Before I came to kindergarten, I didn't know how to do centers, but now I can."  During centers, the children played little games, practiced writing and reading and math, cut, colored, and pasted.  Brandt was very good at working hard and staying on task during centers.  I know that because it was during centers that I was in his classroom as a volunteer.

The children then shared a cute poem and song.

When I was one, I had just begun.
When I was two, I was nearly new.
When I was three, I was hardly me.
When I was four, I was not much more.
When I was five, I was just alive.
But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six now forever and ever! 

And the song.

Oh, everything I learned I learned in kindergarten, in kindergarten, in kindergarten.  Everything I learned, I learned in kindergarten to last my whole life through.  Some art, a little music, the numbers, and the letters A to Z.  Make good choices, do your best work, discover your own world, share a smile and be the best that you can be.  Oh, everything I learned I learned in kindergarten, in kindergarten, in kindergarten.  Everything I learned, I learned in kindergarten to last my whole life through.

That was it.  A great graduation and end to school.  Brandt got a super cute yearbook with pictures of all the children in his class and from activities they did throughout the year.  Then they had a Popsicle and we came home.  Brandt will have his end of year test on Monday, and we will be free for the summer.

I said to Brandt as we were one our way to school, "How does it feel to be walking to school on the last day of school?"

He looked at me like I was dumb (am I going to get that look a lot?) and said, "Mom, it's not the last day of school.  I'm going to be in first grade."

A good point.  Although Brandt has finished kindergarten, he does still have a few more years of schooling remaining.  Fortunately, this year was so great, he is eager to continue.  Last night he said, "Do I go to first grade next week?"  We are delighted with our boy and pleased he has done so well.

It was cold. 

When we woke up, it looked lovely, but it got really windy.

Brandt is out of focus, and this was the only bowl for his whole group.

"Head couple sashay down."

Although Brandt said Britton was the girl, he ended up on the girl's side.

He was totally into the dancing, doing extra little gig steps in between moves.

Oakley, sitting next to Brandt, is mugging for the camera.

Waiting for something to happen.

Saying his part.

Singing the "Everything I learned I learned in kindergarten" song.

Brandt has been singing it all week.

 

Oddly, Brandt wore the same shirt on the first and last day of school.

He looks far more relaxed and confident on the last day than he did on the first.