Sigh. It’s the last day of school. This is nothing like we expected it to be, thanks to COVID-19. First, school ended two weeks earlier than scheduled. Second, we didn’t get to enjoy any of Avery’s fifth grade celebrations, a rite of passage as she heads off to middle school. Third, I had to ask the kids to change out of their pajamas and pause their elearning so we could take our traditional last day of school pictures! I suppose it would have been appropriate to take the photos while in our jammies!

Damon grew by leaps and bounds this year. He excelled in both reading and math. He made some new friends in his class, and he easily accepted his new responsibilities, like going through the lunch line and bringing papers back and forth from school to home. Best of all, he had the most amazing teacher who customized his learning based on his skills. We will sadly miss Mrs. Gardner and her enthusiasm for learning. Luckily, she passed that thirst for learning to Damon!

My sweet Avery. This is not how we wanted to end her final year in elementary school. She was supposed to enjoy so many special celebrations as she was in the school’s graduating class. This afternoon she will have an online graduation, and her family graduation dinner will be at some date in the future. She is growing so fast, physically, emotionally, and educationally. She is starting to enjoy history more, and her writing seemed to blossom this year. We adored Mrs. Rogers who well prepared Avery for the challenges of middle school next year. (By the way, she requested the pigtails today!)

What a bittersweet day. We’re so proud of our kids for learning so much while enduring such an unusual school year. We’re looking forward to a fun summer, and we hope that school will return to normal in the fall!

Last day of fifth grade and kindergarten