Last Day of School

It's hard to believe it's the last day of school.  For the past couple of days, both Brandt and Blythe have expressed that they are sad that school is ending.  They don't want it to be done.  They have both had a great year, learned new things, and grown in really positive ways.  Brandt had a rough start but has finished strong.  Blythe started well and finished well, with a few rocky spots in between.  All in all, we are pleased with how the year went.  When I asked them how they felt today, they said, "Happy.  And sad."  Me, too.

It is also the last day of school for Rock Canyon Elementary.  The new school is nearing completion and we'll start at a brand new Rock Canyon in the fall.  It looks sadly empty.  The children have been bringing home funny things from school, things their teachers want to get rid of but don't necessarily want to throw away.  Papers, cut-outs, books, pictures, and today, a really nice, quite large globe.  It will be so exciting to see the new school.

 

Blythe and Mrs. Fueger and Brandt and Mrs. Harrington

Oral Language Festival

Tonight was the Oral Language Festival at school.  Blythe participated last year, but we were in Hawaii when forms to participate were due this year, and I didn't get it turned in.  After we got back, Blythe came home from school one day and told me Lily Lusvardi wanted her to do a poem with her. 

Yeah!  They performed Shel Silverstein's poem "The Meehoo With An Exactlywatt," a very silly poem that begins like a knock knock joke.  They did a great job, though Lily got a bit confused and they missed a few lines.  Blythe last line is, "Go away!" and she jumped in when she sensed that things were derailing.  They were absolutely darling.  Unfortunately, Brandt wanted to be the one to document the performance, and the only picture took was the one below mostly of the ceiling.  Alas. 

This is a picture that Mrs. Fueger posted on Facebook.

It's fun to see some of the other kids, too.

And here's the poem

"The Meehoo With An Exactlywatt"

Knock knock!

Who's there?
Me!
Me who?
That's right!
What's right?
Meehoo!
That's what I want to know!
What's what you want to know?
Me, who?
Yes, exactly!
Exactly what?
Yes, I have an Exactlywatt on a chain!
Exactly what on a chain?
Yes!
Yes what?
No, Exactlywatt!
That's what I want to know!
I told you - Exactlywatt!
Exactly what?
Yes!
Yes what?
Yes, it's with me!
What's with you?
Exactlywatt - that's what's with me.
Me who?
Yes!
Go away!
Knock knock…

An Array

Blythe has been learning about arrays.  Those are arrangements of rows and columns.  Today, when she buttoned up her jacket, she came to me and said, "Look Mom! My buttons make an array!"  I took a picture, sent it to Mrs. Fueger, and she used the picture as an example of a real life array.  That Blythe.  She's a smarty pants!

Second Grade Top Reader

Guess who was one of the second grade top readers this year?  That's right! Our resident second grader, Miss Blythe Isabella Barrus.  As a result of checking out and reading lots of books, she got to pick a book of her very own.  Lucky!  We're very pleased with Blythe's reading progress this year.  She's good.

Second graders extraordinaire!

L-R: girl in purple, Mia Bella, boy behind her, girl next to her and Blythe, boy behind Blythe, 

Brian, Sal, another boy, and Amanda

Pushing Up the Sky

Blythe's class put together a short play called "Pushing Up the Sky" that they performed for the other second grade classes today.  The first I heard about it, Blythe came home yesterday and said, "I need a leopard costume.  We're doing a play and I'm a leopard and I need a costume, like a shirt or a dress."

"Great," I replied.  "When is this play?"

"Tomorrow," she informed me.  "Let's get on the internet and find me something."

Mild panic mode set it.  Did she really need this costume the next day?  Why was this the first I was hearing about it?  Why had Mrs. Fueger not told anyone about it?  Blythe had no response to any of these questions except to say that yes, the play was tomorrow, and let's start looking for leopard print shirts.

I texted Mrs. Fueger for clarification.  Turns out the play was the next day, but Blythe did not need a costume.  Mrs. Fueger had the scarf Blythe would wear, and she has specifically told all the children not to rush home and tell their parents they needed something for the next day, just like Blythe did.

No frantic shopping necessary.

So today was the performance.  It was sort of a reader's theater.  All of the kids had a part, everyone got to say something and wear something, and they all got to bring home a DVD of their performance.  It was a gripping tale about how the sky was much to close to the ground and how the people were able to push the sky upwards.  I don't have a picture from the performance, though we do have the video, but I will include the script (short) with Blythe's parts highlighted.

Pushing Up the Sky

Narrator: Long ago the sky was very close to the earth.  The sky was so close that some people could jump right into it.  Those people who were not good jumpers could climb tall fir trees and step into the sky.  But people were not happy that the sky was so close to the earth.  Tall people kept bumping their heads on the sky.  And there were other problems.

Tall Man: Oh, that hurt! I just hit my head on the sky again.
Girl: I just threw my ball, and it landed in the sky.  I can't get it back.
Mother: Where is my son? Has he climbed a tree and gone up into the sky again?
Boy: Every time I shoot my bow, my arrows get stuck in the sky!
All: THE SKY IT TOO CLOSE!

Narrator: So the people decided something had to be done.  A great meeting was held for all the different nations.  The seven wisest chiefs got together to talk about the problem.

1st chief: My people all think the sky is too close.
2nd chief: A very good job was done of making the world.
3rd chief: That is true, but the sky should have been put up higher.  My tall son keeps hitting his head on the sky.
4th chief: My daughter keeps losing her ball in the sky.
5th chief: People keep going up into the sky when they should be staying on the earth of help each other.
6th chief: When mothers look for their children, they cannot find them because they are up playing in the sky.
7th chief: We are agreed, then.  The sky is too close.  Let us use YAH-HOO as a signal.  Ready?
All: YES!
7th chief: YAH-HOO
All: YAH-HOO
7th chief: YAH-HOO
All: YAH-HOO
Tall Man: We are doing it!
Mother: Now my son won't be able to hid in the sky!
7th chief: YAH-HOO
All: YAH-HOO
Boy: It will be too high for my arrows to stick into it.
7th chief: YAH-HOO
All: YAH-HOO
1st chief: We have done it!

Narrator: So the sky was pushed up.  It was done by everyone working together.  That night, when everyone looked overhead, they saw many stars in the sky.  The stars were shining through the holes poked into the sky by the poles of everyone who pushed it up higher.  No one every bumped his head on the sky again.  And those stars are there to this day.

Penguins

Blythe has been doing a penguin unit at school over the past month or so.  She has been learning about all types of penguins--where they live, what they eat, what they look like, how big they are--and then she had to complete a penguin project.  She had to create a penguin, include five facts about it, and make it fun and colorful, then present her penguin to the class.  The day she brought home the half-sheet of poster board she was to use, she went up to her room and got to work.  She came down a couple of times to ask how to spell something, but otherwise, she worked independently in her room to create her poster.

The end result is fantastic.  She chose to do an emperor penguin, and included the five following facts (spelling and punctuation unchanged):

1. they eat fish
2. the dads keep the egg's warm
3. lepord seals eat them
4. they can grow to about 48in
5. they are the tallest

She drew the picture all by herself, then colored and glued on one bird feather we had in an arts and crafts box in the game closet.  She received full marks for her project--100/100.  Way to be a great student Blythe!

Second Grade School Work

I like to save some of the kids school work.  I have some of mine, and it makes me laugh to go back and see what I was doing in elementary school.  Blythe brought home this short though incredibly funny Winter Story.  She obviously wasn't really into the writing portion of the story, but the picture is great.  And no exaggeration here, I burst into laughter when I read the text portion.  I completely agree with the comments her teacher, Mrs. Fueger, made on her page.

Christmas Concerts

Today was the school Christmas concerts.  This is the first year we have had to go to both concerts, as the performances are divided up.  Fourth through six grades performed in the morning with the morning kindergarteners, and the first through third grades and after kindergarteners perform in the afternoon.  The whole day was taken up with concerts.  However, the singing was wonderful.  I love this part of school.  Brandt and Blythe have both been singing their songs for the past month, and they have been so excited to have us come hear them.  They sang well, Brandt's grade singing --------- and ----------, and Blythe's grade singing "Still, Still, Still" and "A Hot Cup of Cocoa."  Brandt was supposed to wear a red or green shirt and a Santa hat.  We don't have a Santa hat, so he wore a Santa's helper hat, with elf ears on the side.  Although he had a red shirt on, for some reason, he never took off his coat.  He was standing on the front row, too, so it was pretty obvious that he was wearing it.  I don't know what that was about, and when I asked him why he had his coat on, he said, "Mrs. Harrington said it was fine."  Whatever.  He still sang beautifully.

This was as much of a smile as I was able to get out of him.

No teeth showing.

 

Blythe wouldn't give me a smile either.

Obstinate children.

Tavin--behind her--certainly was smiling large.

A Bean!

In school, Blythe has been learning about how plants grow.  She has learned that they need sun and water and they can die if they have too much water.  They can also die from too much sunlight if they don't have enough water.  In class, they put beans in platic Ziploc bags with a wet paper towel to see what would happen.  Pretty much everyone's beans died.  But Mrs. Fueger  sent everyone home with a bean and suggested they try it themselves.  Blythe carefully placed her bean on the wet paper towel, and we placed it on the ledge above the kitchen sink.  After about 10 days, it began to sprout and then a couple days later was so big it was pushing up the baggie.  Today, we transplanted it to a pot by the couch that has been growing a garlic plant.  We'll see if she get beans.

Halloween at School

Yesterday were class parties for both Brandt and Blythe.  I had signed up to help with Brandt's party, which was in the afternoon, just before school got out.  The costume parade was in the morning, however, so I went over to watch parading and took Brick and Cora to get them (mostly Brick) out of the house and to give Mikayla a break as she just had a second surgery on Wednesday and is recovering.  Brick was happy to be out and running around (he kept escaping out of the gym and running off down the hall.  Don't tell Mikayla!), Cora was happy with Rachel LaComb who was happy to have her, and we met up with Dawn, McKenna, and Grayson, too.  Brick was thrilled to see Brandt and Blythe come by with their classmates, and McKenna gave both of them a hug as they walked past.  It is fun to see how creative the kids are with their costumes.  This was Brandt's last year (sad face).

I wasn't in Blythe's class party, but I did pop in to take a class picture while I was with Brandt's class.  I took lots of pictures of Brandt's classmates, and suppose I will do the same for Blythe at Christmas.

That small grey-haired head is McKenna.

She and Grayson were both dressed as vampires.

 

Cora wasn't so sure about the costumes.

Blythe's class

Back row: Mrs. Fueger, Jordan, Cora, Summer, Maggie, Maeve, Sal, William, Chase, Matthew, and Titus

Front row: Blythe, Rylee, Anna, Lauren, Sierra, John, Tavin, Mason

Pictures from Brandt's class party--

Brandt is trying to guess what Alex is acting out.

 

Mmmmmmmmmmm

Donut! 

Brandt and Owen

Brandt's class

Top row: Grant, Britton, Bekah, Josephine, Kelton, Owen, Austin, Abi, Brighton, Mrs. Harrington, Lisa, Emma, Matthew, and Greyson

Middle row: Joseph, Alex, Brandt, Francisco, Mikayla, Josh, Kayla, Abbie, Julia

Front row: Oakley, Kylie, Ella, Ash, and Kadence

First Day of School 2015-2016

Although it is still hot and summer-like, school started today and summer officially came to an end.  Not that we won't stop playing (because I really like to play), but we're back to a schedule, and homework, and learning.  Most of that is wonderful.  Brandt and Blythe have been excited to start school, and have really looked forward to going back.  We got lots of new school supplies a couple weeks ago, including new backpacks and lunch boxes, and new shoes and haircuts, and on Monday we went to Meet Your Teacher/Back to School Night.  Brandt has Mrs. Harrington for fourth grade (4th grade!!!!!) and Blythe has Mrs. Fueger (fee-ger with a hard g) for second grade (2nd grade!!!!).  They each know lots of people in their classes, and we are confident they will have a great year (at least we hope so).

When we woke up this morning, we found balloons and treats from Aunt Brenda and Uncle Brent.  Candies accompanied notes that said, "Go get 'em you Hot Tamales!" "U-No a lot--time to learn more!" and "Have a great day--you Smarties!"  It was super nice of them to think of Brandt and Blythe.

We weren't used to having to get out the door by a certain time, and Brandt and Blythe were almost late.  I had to pack lunches and gather school supplies, and after we paused to take a picture on the front porch, I somewhat frantically encouraged the children to "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"  Blythe announced that now that she was in second grade she did not need anyone to walk her to school.  I said, "How about just this first day.  We'll help carry school supplies."  "NO!" was her emphatic response.  So off she went alone, our big second grader.  Brandt was worried about being late, so Kent took him on the scooter. 

I did not go and meet them after school, but they both got home and told us all about the day.  Blythe's teacher gave them jitter juice, a delicious concoction of mango sherbet, strawberry lemonade, and 7-Up.  She told us we must get the ingredients and try it.  Brandt and I had an introductory SEP with Mrs. Harrington and Blythe and I would have met with Mrs. Fueger too, but she was behind schedule and we had to reschedule.  Here's hoping for great new year.

Off to school, all by herself.