Kindergarten Graduate!

First Day of Kindergarten - Fall 2012 

&

the last week of kindergarten - May 2013

It's official!

Will is a kindergarten graduate!

We celebrated the graduation ceremony at his school last week.  Ellie & I helped decorate - it was a kinder"garden" theme.  Each child had their own table with a mason jar centerpiece (filled with pebbles - Ellie's job to fill lots of mason jars that morning with pebbles) & then leaves which had questions and answers from interviews with each student.  It was really cute & fun to read all their answers.

Will's favorite thing about his teacher?  She lets him have lunch!

Someone he thinks is awesome?  Batman

When he grows up he wants to be .... a spy!

The kiddos came in & sang several songs for us - "I am a Promise" & "Dream Big"

& I cried.

The principal read the children a sweet book & the teachers presented each child with a candy that represents their personalities - Will got Laffy Taffy for his contagious laughter.

My child has a hidden talent for air guitar!

I found these fun photo prop things that Will loved using in pictures with his friends.

Sweet friends...

Will told me recently that he will marry B... & that he will let her name all of their children because he just wants to do nice things for her and that would be nice.

 So many dear friends this year

Will with his Cookie & Lovie

The next day, we went on the last field trip of the year - to the zoo!

Will asked his teacher to be his buddy & held her hand as they toured the zoo - so sweet.  I was a high school teacher so I never experienced the sweet little loving hugs and hand holding kindergarten teachers get - just precious

Finally, this week was the final day of school!

For the last day, the kids wore swimsuits & had Splash Day!

Will had a blast getting soaked with his buddies.

His teacher read them one last story

And the closed out the year with a pizza party!

Will's sweet little kindergarten class

Will & his teacher

We invited his class over to swim at our neighborhood pool after school since it was an "early release day" & kids were already in swimsuits.  (Normally, he attended school from 9:30-1 but on "early release day" he got out at 12:30! Ha!

(Also - I use the time "9:30" loosely - the drop off was open til 9:40 and so really that was my goal.  I'm going to have to get it in gear next year.  Considering I've been working out at 5:30am there is no excuse for us running so late!  (Except that I go back to bed after exercise class & am wiped out.)

Anyway - Will & Ellie both loved swimming with the kids & their siblings!

Will had a great kindergarten year!  He learned to READ!!!  He learned to spell!  He learned to WRITE!  He learned about being a good friend and waiting for his turn to speak.  He learned addition & subtraction & patterns.  He learned sight words & poems and songs.  He loves learning & really had a wonderful school year.

I keep starting to cry about kindergarten being OVER...

until I remember that with his late August birthday, he is doing kindergarten again next year (at a new school.)

Whew!