Mooks: Awe your kids school year

[imojoebunny]

So we have a lot of post about kid's struggles as they get older.  As school is wrapping up, thought it might be fun to share some positives.  

Awe something good about your child's school year and/or the progress they have made.

Brag away!

[kkfeb04]

My son started kinder this year at 5 and he has autism. The fall was rough as the school adopted his diagnosis but left it off his IEP even though he has the educational diagnosis as well as medical. They switched schools and placed him all day instead of half day. It was like he was a new kid. No tantrums. No behaviors. He's still in half day kindie and then half day in AS. He was the youngest but loves the older boys. He asked to follow them to their math class and they tested him and he was able to do the math they do so he gets pulled for that in the afternoon. Once they challenged him, he flipped a switch. He has taken a new boy under his wing and is very patient with him as he isn't verbal. His handwriting has dramatically improved and you can read it and it looks typical kindergarten.

He also got a love picture that said I love you from a girl.

[hocus2]

Our Sunday school wound down for the year and we got a note from the teacher about how great it is to have my kid in her class. My kid's is is on track academically but she really shines in terms of personality traits like staying on task, being respectful, being kind and so forth.

[drloretta]

After the debacle of the start of this year, I never thought it would get better. But it has!

DD's class had their annual spring tea with a parent, and it was so cute to see all the work she put into it. I haven't heard a peep from anyone there about any behavioral or emotional issues, so I'm counting that as a major win. Her handwriting is getting really good--she wrote something in chalk on our driveway and DH thought I had done it!

She wrapped up her (half) year at Irish step dancing, and still loves it. She had her recital on Saturday and "won" 2 medals for completing her 2 dances. DH was really impressed at how well she stayed onstage with a dozen other kids, waiting her turn to do her dance. We think this bodes well for the more structured environment she'll have starting next year. Her dance teachers are very strict and it really doesn't bother her.

And because I'm a major AW, here she is with her medals.

[Noblegirl]

Last year DD was in Kinder.  She was bored and hated it.  If anyone asked her about it she said it was boring and "a waste of her time."  At one point she started writing everything backwards, when I asked her why, she said because the work was too easy and it made it more interesting to write it backwards.  Her teacher also seemed to have no interest in making class interesting or fun. It was heartbreaking to see such a bright kid hate school at such an early age. 

This year, DD has a great teacher who tailors work to the student's individual levels and gives them academic free time to do more of what interests them (for DD this is storytelling and writing).  She strategically will pair students together for pairs work to ensure that both students are getting something out of the time.  

As a result, DD LOVES school this year.  She has grown by leaps and bounds and she has a hunger to learn more.  It's wonderful.  

[cjeanette]

Eleanor is finishing 2nd grade. She did really well this year, it helped that her teacher was cool with her doing her working standing up if she preferred. Or bouncing. As long as other kids weren't distracted.

Corbin is finishing 5th grade. He went the whole year with nothing but 100% on his spelling tests. He is pretty proud of that! He made honor roll all 4 quarters. Math is becoming a bit of a struggle as they move further into word problems since comprehension isn't his thing but he is getting there.

[Deleted]

My oldest is finishing 4th. She had an amazing teacher for math, social studies, and science. Her literacy Rachel wasn't great. She did excellent this year. Straight A's in everything except Spanish where she mostly had solid B's. She has shown a good amount of growth towards independence that I'm super thrilled about.

My middle is finishing 1st. She had amazing teachers in all subjects. She went from barely reading to reading easy chapter books, increasing from a DRA level 3 to a DRA level 24! Her goal was to get to 20. She's worked really really hard this year and I'm so proud. Socially she's also doing great. She's super sweet and I hear from other parents constantly about how sweet she is. Which is great to hear considering one of her favorite pastimes is screaming at me. . Glad to know its only me.

[lindsaymg]

DS is finishing the 1st grade. He is doing so well socially and academically. He is slowly catching up fine motor skills wise with his handwriting, shoe laces, art. While they don't do letter grades at his school, he is reading above grade level, his math skills are WAY above grade level. We will be pushing chapter books this summer.

His teachers have always said he is friends with everyone, transcending the already forming cliques. I am so happy that I have parents calling whose children who struggle with friends inviting Carter over as they feel Carter is always nice to them. It may cause us to have an exhaustive list of birthday parties and social calendar but I want to facilitate the inclusive nature he has.

I love the person he is becoming.

This summer he is doing a lot of camps including zoo camp, TONS of soccer camp, golf and art camp, and hold me OVERNIGHT CAMP.

[turtlegirl]

DS1's last day of TK is this week. It's been such a great experience and a great program. He's started reading within the past month or so. His report card was perfect. At his parent teacher conference his teacher talked about what a great kid he was. We are lucky that he's staying at this school thru 5th grade (not the case for all kids in the TK program), so his teacher made sure he got into a certain Kindergarten class that she felt like would be best for him.

[abs]

Great thread!!

DD finishes pre-K this week and is off to Kindergarten in August. She's grown so much this year! I was nervous about her going into a class where she didn't know anyone but she did great and has made lots of new friends. Hopefully this helps her confidence for K where she will be starting fresh again.

She's made a lot of progress academically--she's recognizing lots of sight words, can write anything, etc. I was really worried about her fine motor skills at the beginning of the year but now not so much.

She's also done really well in her activities.

When she tries she is amazing! That will be our biggest challenge next year.

[lauralala]

DS is finishing kinder this week. He has matured a lot this year - he's learned to control himself much better, no more tantrums (at school, anyway) and he's gotten much better at following directions, etc.

I am really going to miss his school. He was in private kinder at a preschool, so he has to start a new school in the fall. His teacher this year has been absolutely awesome - we've been really lucky.

[SpartanGirl]

DD1 is finishing 4th grade. She's an amazing reader and has continued to do well this year. She had a great teacher, and despite being in a class with way too many kids (34), she thrived this year. Her teacher was awesome at challenging her and calling her out when she started to coast (which she has a habit of doing because things come easy for her).

DS worked so darn hard this year in 2nd grade. He started the year not reading on grade level. He spent a LOT of time working on his reading outside of school (his choice!!) and has made a lot of progress. He had a great group of friends who challenged each other to do better (read more steps, advance to higher levels in their reading app, etc). It was fantastic. I'm so proud of him. He put in hours of work in reading and math outside of school, and he worked so hard in gymnastics that he was advanced to the competition team. He is such a hard worker, and when he sets his mind on something he doesn't give up.

DD2 is ending her Kindergarten year. She has done amazingly well. She's reading well above grade level and has done so well dealing with some challenging behaviors in other students that the assistant principal called us at home to compliment how well she has done this year. She loves her teacher and, as excited as she is to move on to first grade, she's cried a few times because she is going to miss her teacher so much. <3

DD3 ends preschool this week. She's moving on to Kindergarten in the fall (EEEK!). She is the most challenging of all of my kids, but she has really grown socially this year. Turning 5 was like a magical moment, and she suddenly wanted to be independent. She's still a feisty little thing, but I have a lot less worries about her starting Kindergarten than I did at the start of the year.

[Queen Mamadala]

Last day of school is June 2nd. My oldest is finishing up 5th grade. She and my 3rd grader have done amazingly well. They excel in all areas, and I'm pretty excited they're not math phobic like I was/am. They love reading and writing, and have a definite skill and talent for writing. Both girls love their teachers, and their teachers absolutely adore them. Dd2 was chosen to be part of a peer counselor group that was formed to help other students develop skills to communicate and work on conflict resolution. She likes to inform us when she gets 100% on spelling and math tests, but she gets really shy about some of her writing. (I shared one of her writing assignments a couple weeks ago. It's pretty awesome, actually.)

I'm crossing fingers that she gets dd1's teacher for 4th grade. Her teacher actually mentioned she's hoping to get her for next year. I'm always in awe of how much they enjoy school and learning. Both are very gifted, and I've seen tremendous growth in their curiosity for learning and their passions. Dd1 is a voracious reader. She regularly devours books, reading 350+ page books in a day. We've actually "caught" her staying up until midnight just to finish a book. I love that she enjoys reading and writing. And her handwriting is amazing. Better than mine.

My son is finishing up Kinder. He's struggled at times with social interactions and paying attention in class. We've suspected ADHD. He's actually done really well academically.

[quesyrah]

My 6 year old is just finishing up kinder. I was really worried about how he was going to do because we're dealing with some behavioral stuff and his last year of preschool was rough. He started seeing a therapist and is making great progress.

I am so blown away by this kid. He's testing above average in all areas and is reading at an ending 2nd grade level.

His school held a reading challenge and as the top reader in kinder he got a gold medal and an award at the assembly last week. He was so incredibly proud of himself.

His teacher this year has been just amazing and I am totally going to cry when we have to leave her!

[imojoebunny]

So glad to hear all the good things about your kids.

This is from my 4th graders end of school report:
Bunny is an active member of our class community and is a good friend to her peers. She continually follows our class agreements and is a good role model to others. Through her actions in class and on the playground, she consistently displays all the values related to the {School specific, but integrety, simplicity, community, equality, and stewardship}. She is kind and inclusive to others. These qualities allow her to interact with and have a variety of friendships, as well as, being respected by others. She has a strong sense of justice and will stand up for herself and others if the situation dictates.... It has been a pleasure to have Bunny in our class.

She has come so far from the little girl who rocked back and forth in a classroom in 1st grade, had few friends, could not follow along, and was picked on a great deal. I am so proud of her. She is also doing much better academically that we were led to believe she was capable of 3 years ago.

My DS in 1st grade has rocked it the end of this year, after a rough start to the beginning of the year. His behavior at home has improved greatly. He tested in December at the middle of 4th grade in reading and end of 3rd grade in Math. After that, they tested him for their Gate program and put him in a different class for several hours a week, and that helped a great deal with his attitude toward school, and improved his motivation a lot. Don't have his year end results, but I am guessing they will be good, based on his progress at home, and he is so much happier.

[cinco]

My oldest is finishing up 4th grade. She is incredibly self motivated and has a love of learning that is enviable. She is constantly reading and going above and beyond what is req'd at school. She loves cross country and lacrosse, and hanging out with her friends. This has been a great year for her, and I'm thankful for her coaches and teachers that push her and support her.

My middle is finishing up 2nd grade. He passed all his math facts and is reading above grade level. This is huge for him b/c he was below grade level in K and 1st. I had no doubt he'd catch up, but it is nice to see his self confidence build. We still struggle with getting him to do homework and not be lazy in general. Recently he has joined a new swim team and he is doing awesome! I've never seen him work so hard at anything and he LOVES it.

[cajunmom]

DD1 finished 7th grade and ended up with only one B all year, the rest A's. School is pretty uneventful for her so there really isn't too much to say about her year, honestly. She doesn't do any extracurriculars any more, other than girl scouts. She's hoping to make it into the highest level band for her school next year so she'll get to play at the football games and all that jazz.

DD2 had a great year. She finished 4th grade with a bang, straight A's, perfect attendance, highest averages in all subjects, plus she finished with 710 AR points, which is just absurd. She's very competitive, though, and really wants to beat everyone at everything (DD1 is nothing like that.) She accomplished all of that while doing 6-13 hours of acro a week.

[madringal]

We started out 2nd grade with concerns that DD1 was showing signs of dyslexia. She was behind in her reading and it was so frustrating for her to have to read 15 minutes a night. Her teacher this year was incredible and exactly what she needed. She finished the year at a 4th grade reading level and loves, loves, loves to read and will often read for an hour a night. DH and I are big readers and we are so excited to see her have the same joy about reading a good book.

Ps- it turns out that she was behind because we simply did not do enough reading over the summer with her. We will not make that mistake again this year!

[Marmee]

DD3 did great in first grade despite being the youngest in class by several months. She's a sweet kid. Here she is today, she bridges to Brownies after school!


DD2 is finishing 3rd grade & struggles with organization and prioritizing but did fine this year. She's super smart, artistic and crazy good at sports. Once we get her executive function issues sorted out, she's gonna be unstoppable. Here is her planet project she had due today & she did it 100% by herself.


DD1 finishing 5th. She's such a good person, I really do not worry about her future. She's a hard worker, creative, brave and just does what needs to get done. Here she is singing/playing guitar at her recital. She only takes guitar so her singing is all on her but she did all right.

youtu.be/t99nwALTwLs

[usuallylurking]

DS1 finishes Kindergarten in mid June. I can't believe I am about to have a first grader. He entered and was evaluated to have a solid 2nd grade reading level, now at the end of the year he is reading 3rd and 4th grade books without trouble. I am so proud of the way he loves to read! They don't typically do AR tests in K, but his teacher said he could start right after Christmas break. He's read 2-3 books a week and scores 100% every time. I'm incredibly impressed, lol. He also excels in writing and math, and they're testing him this week to determine if he will qualify for the gifted program.

DS2 started preschool this year after Christmas break (we had to get him PT'd!). They only had T/Th class availability open for 3's so we took it. Oh man does he LOVE it. He is so, so incredibly social and very different than DS1 in that regard. Every day he asks who has school that day, and boy is he upset on days he doesn't have class. We've enrolled him to go M-F for next year. He's young (August bday) so I'm glad he's loves school and can get a lot of preschool in before starting K the following year.

DS3 wishes he could start school too (hanging with mom all day is so boring!) but he has a November bday so he's stuck at home with me for one more year. Sorry, kiddo!

[1confused1]

We are finally almost done with the worst 3rd grade teacher I've ever experienced!!

My first grader can read, it's pretty awesome.

[Gato]

DD1 did so well this year! She is in a 1-2 class, so she got to "teach" the 1st graders this year, and I think she enjoys that role. She also took the buddy bench in her playground to heart, telling us about the times she offered to play with kids who didn't have friends. She went through a period where she, herself, was between BFFs, but made up with her friend and has been happy since then. She continues to gain independence, walking to and from the bus stop by herself each day. She continues to love art and singing, and put on a few plays this year with her friends and little sister.

DD2 just started pre-school, and she had her ups and downs. She's still super stubborn, but she's really getting into digging and gardening, and I think that's providing her with a positive outlet. Getting out the sand and water table has been a godsend; she can spend literally hours there. She continues to light up any room with her infectious smile and laughter.

[bronxgirl]

DD is finishing up first grade. This year has flown by. She looks and acts so much older and it blows me away. I love watching her grow up, but I miss having a little one. She had a great year in school and is a phenomenal reader. Even more important to me is that she genuinely likes reading. She took ballet and tap again this year and her recitals went great. Tomorrow she will likely move up to an orange belt in karate. this summer she starts theater camp, so she will be in her first play.

[rootbeerfloat]

Third grade has been kind of terrible, but... it's almost over! Despite his struggles, DS showed me something he wrote and when I complimented his spelling, he explained that he's been using a spelling dictionary tool. We also started the testing process, and he feels encouraged by that. He loves to draw and creates characters based on his friends.

DD had a wonderful kindergarten year, capped off by winning an award for exemplifying the values of her school. She also reads above grade level and "won" the best design of a beanstalk to hold an egg (lol), which earned her a talking spot representing her class in a video.

[broadsheet]

DD1 is finishing up preschool and will start K in the fall. She struggles a bit socially but always does really well in school. She made this last fall completely on her own (she used stencils to trace the continents but placed them all in the right place and labeled them!)