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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?

Comments

Sturgmom said…
An opera about volcanoes? WOW! It looks and sounds like your children are receiving incredibly rich educational opportunities!! Awesome!
I LOVED reading about what your kids do in school. :) Mr. K sounds great. Natalie adored Miss Amy and Ms. Michelle in preschool this year. Good teachers make all the difference!

Not much planned for our summer. T never ever takes off work, so we've never really been on a family vacation. This is a HUGE contrast from the way I grew up. It's been hard to adjust to. I'd like to work on conquering the clutter in my home this summer, so I can ENJOY where I live. ;)
shortmama said…
Sounds like your kiddos had a great school year! Great pics! Youve got a busy summer ahead of you!
AP Mommy said…
Aw those are great memories captured in print.
Anonymous said…
Your baby girl is too cute! Your photos are lovely and I'm so happy the kids enjoyed themselves.
Sara said…
Monkey's hair looks really cute:) Mr. K sounds like an incredible teacher!
jennykate77 said…
Wow! You guys have been BUSY! I love the pic of Monkey and her little pig tails are adorable...i can't even tell anythign is wrong with her hair. Cowgirl looks so cute in her school program...Isaiah would love all that volcano and expedition talk! Those mountains are GORGEOUS!!! I love mountains...it was my favorite part of my trip to CO in January.

Hope you're having a great week!
Tina said…
Great pictures....

I think her hair looks fine....she may have a future career as a hair dresser...LOL

Darling children!
You did a great job of "fixin" her hair!!! Can't tell a difference.

Looks like lots of fun in your household over the last week- I don't know how you manage to get it all done!

~Becca
Jenny said…
Awesome pics! It looks like a great time! I really like the idea of the teacher staying with the kids for 2 years.
Marrdy said…
What a busy week. And that little Monkey looks too cute for words.
Tanielle said…
How awesome!!! I've never hiked to that cave, and I'd probably have a heart attack if I did!:-) You're lucky to have them out, I'll just bring over my extras so you can have them too!:-)
Unknown said…
Sounds like yall had a great time. Your little one is so cute -- You can't even tell she cut her hair. Love the pictures from inside the cave that was cool. We have been out of school since the middle of May. I've spent two days working on our science curriculum for next year. It takes me the whole summer to get ready for the next year. Hope yall enjoy the summer.
Heather said…
Your school sounds so cool! What lucky kids they are.

Monkey looks so cute!!
Wow -- you all are busy busy busy! Love the Opera -- how cute is that?! I'm trying to imagine how that sounded... Love the mountain pictures -- our nearest "mountain" is the city landfill. We keep suggesting that they make snow and add a skilift!
Kacey said…
Great pictures! It all looks like so much fun!
Shawn said…
You're doing a great cover up. It will be all grown out beforey ou now it.

What great pictures! I'm hoping to take a tip to Mammoth Caves this summer with the girls. I remember going as a child and want them to enjoy it as well.

It's summertime!
I want to go to your school! Seriously, it sounds like the best place ever - and the kids actually learn stuff! A volcano opera is so awesome.

Those cave pics are fabulous, and the mountains are beautiful.
kado! said…
Hahaha!!!! All of those hair skills we aquired during the late 80's and early 90's eras have been put to good use!!!....her hair looks Cute!!!

love the cave pics!!!
E said…
Love the kids end of school activities! How cool! And the idea of 'Looping' with the teachers I am looking forward to hearing more about.
What great end of the year happenings! (I love Monkey's hair. She's precious.) The mountains are gorgeous, but you'd have to drag me, kicking and screaming into a cave. No thank you for tight spaces or underground anything....
Our kids "Looped" with their teachers too and it worked great! They even did it for 3 years in one case...it was really hard for the students and the teacher though when they seperated! But the bonds they formed and how well the teacher knew her students and how to teach them was wonderful!

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