But…we made it to the finish line of the school year on Thursday afternoon, and celebrated with a happy, happy, joy, joy pool party for Chica and her friends!
It’s become a tradition to have a summer kick-off pool party like this in Chica’s honor. :)
This year it felt especially wonderful to have something on the calendar to celebrate my girl, since she’d been honored in a MAJOR way just a couple days prior.
No joke. I literally gasped, immediately started leaking tears, and was so surprised that I didn’t even manage to record any video or take any pictures. I was just clapping and quietly crying, and feeling so shocked!
Luckily, my friend’s husband was recording and managed to capture the whole thing on video so I could watch it again and really listen to the whole set-up and process.
In fact, I was 100% convinced that Chica’s dear buddy (one of the girlies below) would receive the honor, as she’d been given several medals for core subjects. So my incorrect guess only added to the wild surprise when Chica’s name was called.
In hindsight, I suspect that the school was trying to ensure that I’d be in attendance for the ceremony a few days prior, in preparation for this major honor.
It’s become a tradition to have a summer kick-off pool party like this in Chica’s honor. :)
We’ve learned the hard way that it’s quite difficult to get all her friends in one place, at one time a few weeks later for her birthday—especially since it falls so close to the 4th of July. So this has become a way to celebrate early, but disguised as a summer launch party. Woohoo!
This year it felt especially wonderful to have something on the calendar to celebrate my girl, since she’d been honored in a MAJOR way just a couple days prior.
Heeeeere she is, all smiley and happy after her 7th grade awards ceremony on Tuesday, but to tell the whole tale, I’ll rewind back to the beginning.
The middle school holds a grade-level awards ceremony each year, during the final week of school. If your child is set to receive some kind of recognition, you get a parent e-mail a couple weeks prior, to mark it on your calendar.
The middle school holds a grade-level awards ceremony each year, during the final week of school. If your child is set to receive some kind of recognition, you get a parent e-mail a couple weeks prior, to mark it on your calendar.
Last year, we learned that the ceremony involves honoring students for their grades, their participation in any number of fine arts endeavors, or service awards, and the specific honor is called out during a processional for the kiddo to each walk across the “stage” and receive a certificate.
Here’s Chica, smiling as she filed back to her seat, after this alphabetical process:
Following that process, there are a handful of additional awards granted. Two per core subject. So math, science, ELAR and socials studies, and the awards are agreed upon by the team of teachers, and the student receives a fun medal.
Last year, Chica received this honor for social studies, and it was a pretty amazing thing to experience this surprise.
But this year…MAN. My girl took it to a whole, new level, entirely.
Following the core subject awards, there is one final set to announce. The top male and female student to represent their grade level for the 2024-2025 academic year, and I was shocked and absolutely flabbergasted when CHICA RECEIVED THE AWARD!
Luckily, my friend’s husband was recording and managed to capture the whole thing on video so I could watch it again and really listen to the whole set-up and process.
I’ll paraphrase just a bit, here, but this was the set-up:
When the grade level teachers begin their top two selection process, they often realize that many of them have selected the same student. It’s from this list of students that the team selects the top male and female student to represent their grade. To be recognized and honored as one of top two students among a group of almost 300 is an indescribable honor.
This award is very special. It is given to two outstanding students who have consistently represented academic excellence, leadership, responsibility, and a positive attitude in and out of the classroom.
Selected by the entire 7th grade teaching team, these students truly represent the best of what it means to be a scholar and a role model.
I. Kid. You. Not. I was absolutely floored. Obviously, I’m biased and believe my Chica to be incredible and wonderful, but, never in a million years would I have predicted this!
In fact, I was 100% convinced that Chica’s dear buddy (one of the girlies below) would receive the honor, as she’d been given several medals for core subjects. So my incorrect guess only added to the wild surprise when Chica’s name was called.
In hindsight, I suspect that the school was trying to ensure that I’d be in attendance for the ceremony a few days prior, in preparation for this major honor.
One of the admins called under the guise of verifying the hubby’s birthday for his visitor’s pass, and I thought it was quite odd, but, now, in makes sense. I think it was their friendly way of checking that I hadn’t forgotten this calendar event among the chaos of the month of May!
Truly, madly, deeply, I can’t say enough glowing things about my eldest and all she’s already accomplished in her young life, but the most vital thing is this:
In dealing with a plethora of responsibilities and demands on her time, honors classes and extracurriculars, my girl has managed to always, ALWAYS keep mental health at the forefront.
It’s actually something we talk about quite a lot: the balance between achievement and keeping a positive attitude and mental state, and I’m just awed by the fact that my girl manages to juggle everything and keep a SMILE in her heart and on her face, and to avoid the weeds of comparison, or anxiety, to a great extent.
That is the thing I’m most proud of.
I’ve always said that the marker of my children’s success will be their HAPPINESS, and not their list of achievements, and I truly believe this.
I leaked happy tears for more than an hour…and then went straight into the INCREDIBLE joy of Chicklet’s graduation evening, so it was a big day, in so many ways!
Fast forward 48 hours, and it felt really appropriate to have Chica’s party on the books, and it just felt like a FANTASTIC way to honor the end of the school year, and start the dang summer, already!
I have a handful of really adorable swimming pics, but it’s probably best to avoid sharing a bunch of teenage girlies in swimsuits, even if I’m covering faces. So just imagine some happy, splashy fun!
And Coda girl felt ALL the love.
We’re kicking off summer with lots of odds and ends bucket list items and fun this weekend, so stay tuned for more.
I leaked happy tears for more than an hour…and then went straight into the INCREDIBLE joy of Chicklet’s graduation evening, so it was a big day, in so many ways!
Fast forward 48 hours, and it felt really appropriate to have Chica’s party on the books, and it just felt like a FANTASTIC way to honor the end of the school year, and start the dang summer, already!
I have a handful of really adorable swimming pics, but it’s probably best to avoid sharing a bunch of teenage girlies in swimsuits, even if I’m covering faces. So just imagine some happy, splashy fun!
And Coda girl felt ALL the love.
We’re kicking off summer with lots of odds and ends bucket list items and fun this weekend, so stay tuned for more.
But, for now: SUMMER IS HERE, and my kiddos SLAYED the school year. Definitely a mic drop kind of moment, ha.
More, soon, peeps!
Over and out.
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