End of school year culminating events

The end of the school year is a busy time for my kids. At school they're busy wrapping up their Learning Expeditions. For Cowgirl this meant the presentation of their final product, and for Bookworm, their final fieldwork outing.

First, I wanted to put some of your minds at ease about one thing. Many of you were dismayed (while laughing at me at the same time) about Monkey's "participation" in Locks of Love. If you don't know what I'm referring to, go here.

I just wanted to reassure you that although she did quite the hack job, I am able to camouflage it pretty well. With a hot curling iron, tons of hairspray, and ratting like crazy, I am able to curl the bangs on the sides that she left intact, and rat and spread them across the chopped ones. Curling and ratting the pigtails also hides the chopped part pretty well.

Monkey's ready to go watch her sister's performance!

For Cowgirl's first Learning Expedition, her class was studying volcanoes and rock formations. For their final product, they teamed up with our professional Opera Company. They were taught all about performing and writing an Opera. Then these 2nd graders wrote their very own opera about volcanoes and rock formations! They performed at a professional theatre, and the Opera was written 100% by the kids, then the Opera Company put the score together for them.

Cowgirl was a hiker, and volcano expert. The words to the song were hilarious, referring to lava, metamorphic, sedimentary, etc.!

Everyone enjoyed the show, and Cowgirl was also one of 6 students chosen to read their "published" stories that they wrote for their Island expedition.

Cowgirl and her teacher, Miss "R". Outside the theatre after the show.

It was a wonderful night for our family, and it was fun spending time with the families of Cowgirl's classmates!

Bookworm and his dad went on a fieldwork outing yesterday. For the 5th grade core curriculum in our state, they are to study our state's geology. For their final fieldwork of the year, they went into the mountains to hike up to our state's most famous cave. I love our mountains...I think they are the most beautiful in the country. Here's a couple of pictures from the hike up.

A view of the valley peeking between the mountains.

Bookworm got tons of great shots inside the cave, here are just a couple.

Bookworm's class. His dad is on the back left, in the blue standing between 2 moms (hmmmm?). His teacher, Mr. "K" is in the Orange jacket, with Bookworm in the back row just to Mr. "K"s left.

This is Bookworm's last year with Mr. "K". We do "looping" in our school, where the teacher moves up with the students, so the students and teachers are together for 2 years. It has HUGE benefits, I'll have to talk about some other time.

Anyway, we will really miss having Mr. "K" as a teacher. I secretly have a little bit of a crush on him. YES, I am happily married, and YES my husband reads this blog. But it's all good, I think he secretly has a little bit of a "man crush" on Mr. K himself! He is just a funny, really cool guy that is awesome with the kids!

Tomorrow is the last day of school and I can't wait! We have family reunions, swimming, yard work, picnics and much more to look forward to! What do you have planned for the summer?