The end of school this year was one that Ellen both looked forward to and dreaded. She talked to us for months about being excited to not have school because she wanted to sleep in. But she also dreaded the end of the year because she knew that meant an end to her friendships she had made at the Academy and a move to Utah.
For the last day of school her teacher set up a Kindergarten Graduation. She had robes for all of the kids with hats and they had prepared a presentation for us of poems and songs they learned throughout the year. Ellen was a little distracted during this part because her hat would not stay on. You can tell in the video that she is holding her head kind of funny to try to keep the hat on.
After they sang their songs and said their poems for us they were able to receive a Kindergarten diploma from their teacher Mrs. Turpin.
I am very appreciative to Ellen’s teacher this year. I was able to work with Lori Turpin a couple of years ago in her class and made a good friendship with her. She has worked so well for Ellen and made sure to keep me informed of what she was doing as well. She also gave me really good advice on how to handle the ADD tendencies of my little girl. In fact, Lori attended a Love and Logic class with me after I complained of not knowing how to be my little girl’s mom without yelling at her. Mrs. Turpin was a fantastic Kindergarten teacher and we could not have asked for better.
After the graduation there were snacks to be shared and goodbyes to be said. Ellen had started to make a very good friendship with a little girl from her class, Madi. Madi’s mom and I went to high school together so we were able to set up a few play dates for the girls and they were very sad to say goodbye.
The graduation for me was a fairly emotional one. It meant the end to my involvement in the Academy at Roosevelt Center, a school that I truly believe in and put a lot of time and effort into helping start. I began working with Annie and the other founders when Ellen was 6 months old with the full intention that my children would be able to benefit from the wonderful Harbor Method and curriculum. Instead, I was only able to see Ellen go to school there for one year. Over the years I have really grown to appreciate and love the people at the school and it was a hard goodbye for me to make. I think I was far more emotional about it than Ellen was.
But, as Ellen keeps reminding me, On to First Grade!
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