good news

Last week before the kids got out of school for Spring Break, I had their teacher conferences and got their report cards. And they were awesome!

Libby earned a 4.0 for the trimester-we were all really excited for her! She has been working super hard at school and it has paid off. Bailey did an excellent job as well, earning A's in all of his classes except for math [B]. Which is silly, because he is actually very good in math [unlike his mathematically challenged mother]. He didn't hand in some assignments at the beginning of the trimester, but soon wised up and started getting it done. And Julia, who is scored with E's [for excellent] and S's [for satisfactory], earned lots of E's and S+'s. Plus she's reading at an Independent 3rd grade level [or above, since they only test up to 2 grades higher than their current grade-whatever]. She has really made a huge jump in her reading over the last month or so.

Plus, this past Sunday Bailey played a hymn solo [from the hymnbook] in Sacrament Meeting. He did a really great job. Our ward music director heard he was playing in Priesthood and at Mutual and wanted to give him some experience playing in front of a larger group. I missed out on seeing it, because I actually got sick while getting ready for church and didn't make it. It was a good thing I had sent Bailey to church that morning with Owen at 7 am [for Owen's early morning meeting] to practice on the grand piano in the chapel, because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get him there in time. I also missed Owen's talk in church that morning, but heard that went well also.

poetry & prose

Libby grinning after the event!

Libby reciting the poem "Was It a Goblin?"

Each year the kids' school hosts a "Poetry and Prose" event for all the students. Students memorize and act out poems or other recitations, either individually or in groups, and perform their chosen work on the stage for the whole school. Libby was excited to participate in her first year at their new school and chose a quirky little poem titled "Was It a Goblin?" to perform.

After choosing and memorizing their selection, they first had to perform their piece in front of a group in the library to make the first cut. Libby [much like her mom] is somewhat anxious being in front of groups of people and was a little nervous about the whole thing at that point! But, she persevered and did just fine, making the cut for today's presentation in front of the school.

And she did a good job! Even though she was a little nervous [and a little too short for the microphone-check her out on her tiptoes in the above video!] she didn't forget anything she had prepared. Today they selected the winners to go on to the county competition, and even though she didn't get chosen for county, we are all so excited that she prepared well and got up there in front of the whole school to recite! That can be scary stuff!

Watching Libby up on stage reminded me of when I memorized and performed a poem I had written [I called it "Smiles"] for the equivalent of Poetry and Prose many years ago. I was probably in the 6th grade. I remember even performing in the county competition, and when I look back now, I don't even know how I did it. I would never do it now! I don't know-are we braver when we're younger?

science fair 2007

I've only had this video done for about two months now, so I finally decided to get my act together and post it for everyone to see!

In case you've forgotten, back at the beginning of school, all three kids had science projects due. Julia's class was only submitting collections [since they're so young], but Libby and Bailey each had to create a full-blown project to submit to the science fair. Here are some photos of their projects, of them working on their projects, and how they fared in the final judgement!

honor roll

Congratulations to Libby for making the Superintendent's Honor Roll at school for the first trimester! Way to go! By the way, the Superintendent's Honor Roll is a cut above the regular honor roll, so Libby is really putting forth her best efforts in school. We are very proud of her!

blue ribbon

For the last thirteen years, the K-6 teachers at the kids' new school plan art projects and crafts for the students to create and submit for display during the county fair every September. Earlier this month I volunteered to help the teachers for Libby and Julia's classes prepare the class projects for transport to the fair by placing name tags onto each project, placing smaller projects or crafts onto one display, and bundling the whole lot into a butcher paper envelope with teacher/school information on the front so that all the projects could be delivered to the fair in time for them to be placed on display. As a new parent at the school, this was my initiation into the inner workings of "fair project preparation." And I seriously underestimated the magnitude of the venture!

Libby's class made two projects and Julia's class did eight. As the only parent volunteer for both teachers, it took me a good five hours straight [I didn't even stop for lunch] to get everything ready in time for them to be loaded at 3:15 into the SUV that was headed for the fair. I can still remember how exhausted I was when I was done! But I'm so glad the kids had the opportunity to have something entered in the fair, especially since we didn't have any farm animals or such to enter like some other students did. [For some reason I don't think they would have considered our spastic Chinese Shar-Pei, two grubby cats, or four dwarf hamsters fair-worthy!]

And the final results? Libby's class earned blue ribbons for their "Corn Harvest" projects, which were really nicely done by the students! Congratulations all around! Libby said they also earned blue ribbons for their flag projects, although she hasn't brought it home yet. I haven't heard anything yet for Julia's class. Fortunately I have a whole year to recuperate until the next fair...

new school year, new school

Relief. Yes, I think that's the word I'm reaching for. It is so nice to have everyone back in school and back on a schedule. The first day of school was today, August 8. Sundale starts a week earlier than most because they take a week off in February. For the Farm Show. That's what happens when you go to a country school! Julia had to stay home the first day to wait for the telephone call giving her the green light. Fortunately we got the call early that afternoon, so we went down to the school to see her classroom and meet her teacher so she would know what was happening the following day. And we're off! It's the beginning of a new school year, and I'm so excited for them to be at this new school. Especially Bailey. Everytime I thought about him going to the local junior high, it felt like my stomach was twisting itself into a knot. And this will be great for all the kids. We leave earlier in the morning for school, but so far it's working out well.