Third Grade Awards Day

Carter's last day in third grade . . . 

at East Chester . . . 

down the hall from me . . . 

has officially come to an end.

He had a great career at East Chester and is FULLY prepared to go to the middle school

next year!  He had a great last day at East Chester at the third grade awards ceremony.

More proof that we have been so blessed by the faculty and staff at this school!

Carter and Mrs. Stacey

Carter and Mrs. Stella - his grandmother for the past 3 years

Tyricus, Carter and Ben have been together for 3 years!!!

Carter and some of his awards from awards day.
It is tough being teacher and parent!

Gran came for Awards Day!

Damon was able to come as well!

Mrs. Kim (his principal) and Carter

Mrs. Spring (his vice-principal) and Carter

Cade and Carter

True personalities of Carter and Tucker

 It will be so weird next year with NONE of my kids being at East with me.  However, I know they are more than prepared to continue their education and I am thrilled I don't have to go anywhere else! I love my East Chester family and so blessed that my kids have had them in their lives!

Aunt Becky's DAY OF FUN!!!!

I don't take to many days off of school, but when my babies are coming into town when I haven't seen them in 4 months - I take off!!!  Walker wound up not making the trip, but Lucy and I still had a great day together!

Started my morning off playing with this sweetie!

 Then we went to visit Pop Whittle and play with him!

The stairs are always a hit with the kids!

 On my day off, East Chester had their first annual ENERGY RUN!!  It was actually suppose to be the next day, but rain was a threat so they moved it to the day I was not there!

Richard, Lucy and I went to school to see Carter and my class run and run they did!!!!

Lucy even went around a lap or two with Carter!

Carter was a running machine! He ran 66 laps in a matter of 26 minutes.
Why? We have no idea!!!!

 After the ENERGY RUN we went to eat lunch with LB at the middle school.  Lucy loved waving to all the kids as they went by! She was a HUGE hit!!!

I loved spending time with my little Lucy! So glad I was able to have a day full of fun with her! (and Richard!)

Patriotic Program 2013

Each year in February, our school presents a Patriotic Program where the third graders choose famous Americans, dress like them, and give a short biography about that person's life.  Carter has been waiting for 2 years to be able to participate in this program and he has known who he wanted to be since that time as well.  Who did he want to be?

Jackie Robinson

Yep and so on this night, he put on his Brooklyn Dodgers jersey, hat and baseball pants to set right up beside Kid President (yea. . . he goes to school with Carter) as the Jackie Robinson duo.

All the participants in the Patriotic Program 2013

The kids from my classroom that participated in the program.

The Jackie's of the night - Carter and Robbie (aka Kid President)

 Big shocker, but I took pictures during the program.  Halfway through the program, Cooper, Chance and I had a little fun with my reversal camera on my phone!

Carter and Cade (aka Peyton Manning)

Gran, Pop, Grandad and Carter

Mr. Bob came to the program as well. We missed Mrs. Joan.

So proud of our Jackie for so many reasons!

Carter and Kid President

I think Jackie would have been proud!

Cookin' Up a Great Year!

I feel like I have been eat, breathing and sleeping school since I got back from Carter's state tournament.   However, school is upon us and my room is as close to being done as it is going to get!!!!  I was pretty proud of it.  Most rooms at school have some kind of theme and I decided to go with a red, white and black theme using Chefs.  I am doing the Daily 5 with my kids in reading and we will be learning about the CAFE that goes with it, so that was my inspiration!  

A look into the room from my door.

Another look into my room through my door - my computers, family meeting area, CAFE board and bucket filling station.

My writing station and board.  The different colored buckets match the pockets in their writing folders
so as they work on their writing their folder will move into that bucket.

I got rid of my desk.  This is a look at my adopted grandmother's desk.  She works in any way we need her
and will be a lifesaver.  You also see my world map and our "Today's Special" board.
Doesn't every CAFE need one?

Another look at our bucket filling board as well as the CAFE board.

Computer station and bulletin board area.  We are starting with a HUGE Olympic unit.
We are going to graph the medals from different countries.

My favorite area is the reading center.  My mom was awesome and made this
quilt that matches the room theme as well as pillows for the kids.

Another look at the reading center. . . . 

First Day of School 2012

For the first time EVER, I was not able to walk either child in for their first day of school.  Damon was a trooper and took the kids.  It just about killed me, but I managed.  The first day for us is always a half day and it is a tradition to meet at Jack's for lunch before I had to go back to school.  So, I got my "first day of school" pictures by the van in the parking lot of Jack's.  Hey, at least I got them!!!  They are growing up WAY too fast!

My big THIRD grader

By BIG babies - yes, they are VERY close to the same size!

and NO, they did NOT plan to wear matching colors!
Are you KIDDING?

My beautiful FIFTH grader!!!

I am sure this year is going to bring so much to our lives. I can't wait to see how we all grow, change and learn this year!

It is NOW Official . . . .

I have a MIDDLE SCHOOL-ER

for a daughter!!!!

It is killing me!!!  We took the kids yesterday to get their report cards and, for the last time, LB walked in as a student.  Of course, I had to get pictures of people who have helped her grow into the special person she is today!

LB, Mrs. Dee, and Madlyn

Can you feel the love between these 3?

Mrs. Norma was their computer teacher for 4 years!
She loves her kids!

Mrs. Spring goes to church with us and is our AMAZING vice-principal!

Special friends - Madlyn, John Nic and LB

Mrs. Kim was LB's Kindergarten and First Grade teacher.
When her kids went to First Grade, she became the principal.

Here they are again - on the first day of First Grade!!!!!

Thank you, East Chester, for being a wonderful school for LB. Thank you, teachers, for loving her and helping her grow!!!

Laura Beth's Third Grade Awards

We celebrated Laura Beth and all of her third grade friends yesterday with their big awards ceremony.  It was a bitter/sweet day as I cried bringing her into school for the last time.  I can't believe it was 4 years ago that we brought her in as a little kindergartener and yesterday she entered her last day of elementary school.  She has grown so much and we are so proud of her - for many reasons!

Laura Beth received many awards for her accomplishments this year.  The picture above shows her receiving her certificate and American flag for participating in the patriotic program.  She also received the Sportsmanship Award, the AR Reading Award, the A/B Honor Roll Award, the 3 A's (Attitude, Attendance and Academics) Award, and Attendance Award for missing one day of school.  The thing I am most proud of, though, is when she looked at me and told me she was so glad certain kids in her room won certain awards because they deserved them!! Makes a Momma proud!

Laura Beth's Third (and Second) Grade Class

The 3 Muskateers - Hillary, Madlyn and LB.
We thought Hillary was moving, but she is not!!!!

These 5 kiddos have been in school together since Kindergarten.  They are probably the only ones in ECES history that can say they had only 2 teachers from K-3!!! We were so blessed that Mrs. Kim looped with them from K to first grade, and, then, Mrs. Dee looped with them from second grade to third grade! What a blessing!!!

Mrs. Sandy has been with LB and the other 4 kids for all 4 years as well as their aide!
Another MAJOR blessing!

Good buddies - LB, Madlyn, LeighAnne and MK

So glad, too, that RoRo is always down the hall in case we need her!

We are so proud of LB and all of her friends! They have had a SOLID foundation built at East Chester that I know will go with them wherever they go!