Looks likeI forgot to hit post on this yesterday.
St. P’s is, apparently, the only school outside of Massachusetts that is still in session. C and L have two more days, today and tomorrow, both of which will be filled with watching movies, playing games, field day, and other nonsense. Parents voted for this schedule a year ago, and there have been a lot of sarcastic comments in the halls, in the parking lot, and at school events by people who hate the choice. Worth noting we are scrapping this schedule next year, going back to an earlier start. Which means this summer will be extra short.
Oh well.
The end of M’s St.P’s career went as we expected. A lot of tears. A healthy dose of attitude. And she’s already complaining about being bored.
She, and many of her classmates, we teary messes when they walked out through the line of the other 350 or so students on Thursday. Their kindergarten buddies were last, and M lost it when her buddy came out to hug her. The class lined up for pictures in front of the school and most of the girls were crying. I was one of several parents who pointed out, maybe a little too loudly, that they were all going to see each other in 15 minutes at the pool party the entire class was going to. Call me sentimental…
She went off to the pool party then a sleepover with her closest friends.
Friday evening’s graduation ceremony as nice. It was a full Mass – complete with Father J’s patented extra-long homily – followed by presentation of awards, a few speeches by teachers and one by a student leadership group, and then the handing out of diplomas. Although she didn’t win any awards – well, she earned the presidential scholar award that pretty much every kid who made the honor roll got – she did have a moment in the student leader speech. While running through some memorable episodes such as field trips, plays, etc., one of the memories was “M’s bad attitude.” There were a lot of nervous chuckles as parents looked at us to see our reaction. I had no idea what this was about, so I just shrugged. I looked in M’s direction and she was laughing so I figured it was all good. Later, she reminded us of how a year ago, a teacher who was having a bad day apparently reached her limit when M talked a little too much in class. “M!” She yelled, “You have a bad attitude!” That teacher was not popular and has left the school, so I think this was a fun memory for the entire class. The family we may carpool with for high school did express some mock concerns about having M in their car next year, though.
There was a brief reception afterward before families left the eighth graders to party for two final hours together. When I picked her up at 11:00 there were a lot more tears, hugs, and lengthy goodbyes.
I thought it was all a little weird; I didn’t have an eighth grade gradation. And I wasn’t sad about being done with middle school. 95% of my friends were going to the same high school as I was. In fact, I think the only people who didn’t were ones who moved away. She’s dealing with a little different math. And, as I said last week, she has been in the same building for nine years, so this is a huge change.
So that was graduation weekend. M is helping me watch one of her cousins the next couple days. Meanwhile we have suitcases out and are packing for our summer trip, which begins early Wednesday morning. More about that later…