First Day of School, August 16, 2011

If you look below you'll see the last blog I wrote was in regards to Carlie's Kindergarten Celebration at the end of last school year. That seems like just yesterday!!!! And here it is the first day of the next school year already. I really do hope that we won't have as many snow days this coming winter because making up for those at the beginning of June really made our summer seem short. However, we made some great memories on our trip to the northeast and the kids have had a lot of fun being involved in their different sports this summer.

The house is SO quiet right now, although, with the gorgeous weather I can have the windows open and hear all the "outside" noises...a perfect way to start the school year. Everyone was excited to be back in school especially since they have so many friends they haven't seen all summer. One MAJOR change for us this year is a longer school day for everyone. The elementary children will have four more hours of instruction time per week and middle school and high school will have three more hours of instruction time per week. That means going to school 20 (H & Z) and 25 minutes (B & C) earlier each day and getting out 25 (H & Z) and 35 (B & C) minutes later.....EXCEPT for Wednesdays that start about an hour later but get out at the same time. How's that for confusing??! It's extra time for the teachers to collaborate which is great but I guarantee we'll forget a few times throughout the year!

Enough of the details...where are the pictures?!?!

HALLIE - Sophomore - High School

ZACK - 8th Grade - Middle School

BROCK - 4th Grade - Elementary School

CARLIE - 1st Grade - Elementary School


Hallie has already played in six golf tournaments with her golf team so far this year and their golf season will continue through the end of September. She'll take a break from sports for awhile and then start her track practice in January. Her class schedule for this first tri-mester looks something like this....Honors English, Pre-Calculus, Spanish IV, AP Statistics, and Chemistry.....I WILL NOT be able to help her with her homework....guaranteed!! (Well, maybe English) She has a couple fun electives later in the year but for now it's nose to the grindstone!

Zack gets to start Spanish this year so maybe I'll need to dust off my Spanish skills and we can be a bilingual household....haha! Of course football practices are going on and I'm looking forward to watching the games coming up in a couple weeks. The 8th graders "rule the school" this year as the upperclassmen but all that changes when they go to high school next year as the underclass freshmen :-) Enjoy it while it lasts, Zack!

Brock gets to have the same teacher again this year since his 3rd grade teacher now teaches fourth grade. That was great news because Mr. Stallings is a really great educator!! Brock really enjoyed being in his class last year. Brock is playing baseball right now and hopes to get some more golf instruction in this Fall.

Carlie found out who her teacher would be yesterday and we are thrilled with who she got. She was up bright and early this morning practicing her teacher's name so she wouldn't forget :-) Carlie is in a multi-age classroom so it's 1st and 2nd together. Our kids have been in multi-age classrooms many times and our school really knows how it works and they do it well. We are very grateful for the good schools in our area.

A huge thank you to those teachers/educators/administrators who are going to be spending so much time with our children this year!! You all impress me with your love of children and your joy in seeing them learn.

Well, that's it for now. I have a "to-do" list about a mile long that will take me several weeks to finish. Today, though, I'll be going in to Paul's office to help him with a project he's working on....I'm sure I can squeeze a lunch date with him in there too!!