We Made it through the Year ... with Honors!

Well, today the school year is finally over! A few weeks ago we started feeling like it was really dragging on. We had sunny, warm weather that felt like summer, the kids were bringing home schoolwork and locker contents ... and most of all, we'd ended in March last year, so going until the end of June just seemed too long!

But, as our middle/high school principal said, this unusual year "would just not be complete without a crazy ending," too.

Even though school was supposed to go until Tuesday, June 29, Eric brought home his report card and all his desk contents on Friday the 25th. We'd heard rumors that school might be cancelled on Monday and Tuesday due to extreme temperatures--in this case, weather predicted to be around 45 degrees C (at least 10 degrees hotter than usual for this time of year--or ever, really).

It turns out Eric's teacher made the right call, since the weather really WAS that hot and schools ended up being closed on both Monday and Tuesday.

So, we found out on Friday how well Eric had done in Grade 1! He got "extending" (the highest they can get) in math and science, and "proficient" in everything else. His teacher wrote glowing comments about his growth throughout the year and his ability to catch humor in stories when nobody else "gets it." Then she said, "Eric is promoted to Grade 2." What?! How can this be happening already?

Then yesterday the middle school sent out its awards video by email, and I thought, "Maybe one of the girls got an award!"

I was not prepared for all this:

(I removed the other students' names and pictures since I don't have permission to share them.)

The subject awards show the student with highest achievement for each grade, and the Renaissance award is the school's most prestigious honor, given to students who show overall excellence in both academics and the arts. 

Today we picked up the girls' report cards and certificates,

as well as Alaina's medal. 

I know Janae was most proud of her visual arts award, and Alaina was most honored to be chosen as a renaissance scholar. I am so proud of (and amazed by) them both!

Ben got his report card today, too--96 percent in digital media arts, which was his only class this term. We also got to read his teachers' comments from all of his courses throughout the year (we'd only had the letter grades at the end of each term). His teachers had so many good things to say about his work, his creativity, his talents, and his potential, especially in creative writing. I can't believe he will be in Grade 12 next year!

So, not only did we survive a school year of wearing masks and learning part time from home, but we've also made it through an extreme heat wave and lived to hear about how well everyone has done! Hopefully the rest of the summer will be a little more bearable, and this next school year will be just as full of good things for these four kids.