Nolan finished his 1st Grade year strong!
He had a super HOT field day!
Smiling with his buddy Shane. Shane is moving and won't be at Mammoth Heights next year. Nolan is bummed about this because they hit it off week 1 and have been inseparable ever since. Hopefully we'll be able to keep in touch and see him this summer too.
The Tug of War is always a favorite!
Their class beat Mrs. Coyle's class. And then the girls from his class beat the boys! Ha! Nolan said it was because the boys were just goofing around. Go girls!
The 3 Amigos- Nolan, Jayden, Shane.
Milk the Cow- all of the water games were the faves on this HOT morning.
The Sponge Game
A nice popsicle break- I have no ideas why these 3 were full of the funny faces and hand signs.
Water Break
Finishing up the morning with some teamwork! I was happy that I could make it to watch before heading into school for the afternoon, which just so happened to be a MONDAY, and my LAST DAY.
For Nolan's last day at After Care we filled this bucket with some sweet treats for him to give to his teachers!
It's always hard to come up with gift ideas for his After Care teachers because there are like 10 of them. And on some days they rotate leaving early depending on number of students in attendance, so you never know who is going to be there. We always want to thank them for their fun and care, but it's hard to get gifts for that many people
So this seemed like an easy, simple, and cost effective idea. There were about 10 different candies in the bucket- some chocolate, some fruity, some candy bars, some little bites. We tried to pick a variety so that everyone could pick something they liked! When he gave it to his teachers they were so excited! He felt so proud to give it to them too.
On my last day, I picked up Nolan from school and took JUST HIM to the pool!
It was a fun way to usher in summer and get some one on one time with my biggest.
Then for the next few days I was home with just these two.
I kept them busy with some naked painting! Ha!
And FINALLY…that Thursday was Nolan's LAST DAY.
They celebrated with a family lunch picnic at the park by the pool. This is sweet Ahyana. She has been in Nolan's class for 2 years and is such kind and happy girl. They are pals and I hope she's in his class again next year too.
Jayden and Nolan playing at the park.
And a picture with the incredible Mr. G! I have learned so much from him this year. He fosters independence. He believes that every student can excel. He gives room to explore, create, research, and investigate. He encourages critical thinking. He incorporates technology and music and science. He engages every student, ALL THE TIME! He expects contribution and kindness and inclusion. He inspires! And we were so blessed that Nolan got to spend the year with him!
Us Room Moms sent home a letter to collect contributions towards a class gift for Mr. G! We were overwhelmed by the generosity, which speaks to the incredibleness of Mr. G! But we collected enough to get him a few gift cards- 1 to the PACE center, 1 to Hickory House, and 1 to Kneaders.
We also created this heart/hand frame and had all the kids sign it. Nolan got to present it to Mr. G. We all got choked up and teary eyed thinking about the amazing year we had together. Mr. G. is an avid birder and always calls his classes "The Chickadees". As he says, "Once a Chickadee, always a Chickadee." And for that we are forever grateful.
We finished off the picnic with popsicles and cupcakes.
Nolan has also found a great friend in Jacob this year. Jacob lives close to us and we have already spent a lot of time with him at the pool this summer. They've had a play date too. And Mark and I have enjoyed getting to know his parents as well. These two have a summer of fun ahead of them!
And as always, I surprised Nolan with a little end of school year gift to reward him for his hard work!
It has been so neat to see him excel as a reader, to extend as a writer, and to be challenged as a mathematician. He has grasped new technology, sharpened critical thinking skills, and persevered through tough stuff! He has played and laughed and been silly!
1st Grade is SO FUN! It's my sweet spot as a teacher and it was so fun to walk along side Nolan as he navigated the rich experiences he had this year!
He LOVED his new shades and devoured his new book!
He read it non stop from front to back for 2 straight days! Ha!
A few of his little last day trinkets:
His Poetry Notebook (Nolan sat and read every poem to me in one sitting the next day. He was so proud to show it off!), a treasure chest from Mr. G. that they collected special things in all year, a purple guitar pick signed by Mr. G (purple is his favorite color and he always draws a little caricature of himself next to his signature), and a Bat Man goodie Bag (Batman is Mr. G's alter ego) Ha!
And that's that. Another year in the books! I can't believe he's going to be a 2nd Grader! That just sounds so old! I don't even want to think about it yet. So let's just focus on SUMMER!!!!!
And we've had a great start so far! Laziness, chores, reading, movies, workbooks, baseball, exercise, the pool, errands, friends, video games, Legos, T.V., neighbors, water fights, popsicles, and so much more! I created these Reward Charts with the help of Pinterest, to try to bring a little bit of focus and routine to our days. The boys can earn stickers for activities that they choose to do when they're BORED. Or when I need to reign in the crazy I assign an activity. Nolan and Heath have both earned rewards already in just the first week and have really bought into the charts.
Yes, we do have a lot of togetherness, which sometimes equals arguments, talking back, stubbornness, and tears. But overall it's been awesome! And I look forward to each day bringing more memories! Happy Summer Ya'll!
(Can you tell I've been re-watching FNL on the treadmill again?! I love myself a little summer time T.V.)
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