End of year silliness, bring on the seriousness of summer.

The purpose of this last week in school is... what , again?

There have been picnics and carnivals, parties and pizza, movies and yearbooks and awards, oh my.
No really, cleaning out lockers, that's last day stuff or it should be. Our kids did it Wednesday and then they are forbidden - yes, I said forbidden - from bringing a backpack the last 2 days. Jonathon already cleaned out his desk. I realize there aren't grades given out this week (report cards come out tomorrow, so all grades were submitted Monday), but couldn't they watch something off the History or Discovery channels, not "Nemo" or "Planet 51" or the World Cup? And I'm talking about the middle schoolers here, not the young ones. Today is SOL carnival day at the middle school, but get this, only for the kids who passed their SOLs. Not for a party for everyone because everyone had to get through them. Those that didn't pass sit in their classrooms. No bouncy house for them, no dunk tank, no popcorn, no games. So rather than have the party after school this week.... ugh. Whatever.
Yearbooks came out, with designated times/hours that they could be passed around and signed. Awards ceremonies were completed, Rebecca earned a handful from each class but also "Aspiring Young Writers," "Helping Hands," "Champion Spirit" and several art awards. Did I mention Jonathon got into Signet for next year? He should have fun with that. I don't know how it works for Nicholas, if he had to reapply or is automatically in next year, but either way, he will have a much better year next year, I promised him.
So today is a gorgeous day for putting the school year away. Lunch boxes and backpacks, notepaper, folders, scissors, all the extra supplies we have will get boxed in a Rubbermaid for September. I preordered the boys' supply boxes for their classrooms though I know additional items will be requested like antibacterial gel and tissues, but for $20/kid it was well worth it to not fight the hordes and empty shelves for paper and glue sticks.
Though we're ending this school year, Katherine has already begun her high school career. Tuesday was the first day of marching band practice at Gar-Field HS. A couple weeks ago I'd received an e-mail from the Forest Park band (our home school) talking about their marching band and it's summer practices. I e-mailed Gar-Field asking if we'd missed notices from the band department and could Katherine still join. She signed up for the class, which happens to be a 1/2 credit after school program, and was on the school register but because we're not in the boundaries we are easily forgotten. After getting lost in the corridors we found the band room with kids already milling around and Katherine introduced herself to the director. The other kids and I hopped to the frog pond for swim team practice and picked her up two hours later.
She had a great time. She was the only rising freshman. And she's ready to go back again.
I'm really hoping high school will be a wonderful experience for her.(ooh, read this, it gives me hope: All Prince William County high schools rank in Top 6 Percent Nationwide) Middle school was hard all around, for everyone. But we have now, again, another clean slate and right off a chance for her to make friends with kids who have similar interests. She does best when she's busy, opposite what she says she wants to do which is, oh, nothing. She had this idea that come summer she'd sleep until noon, spend her waking hours at the beach with some friends, stay up all night and repeat the next day. Not quite reality as she now has:
Sunday: swimming 7-9p (until July 30)
Monday: swimming 7-9p (until July 30)
Tuesday: marching band 6-8p (until July 3)
Wednesday: free day
Thursday: marching band 6-8p (until July 3)
Friday: swimming 8-10a (until July 30)
Saturday: swim meet 6:30-12:30p (until July 31)
The schedule will shift some each week, allowing for Katherine marching in the Dale City 4th of July parade, a day at Kings Dominion and other activities. Like this:
July 19-23: boys to Civil War camp 9-12p
July 19-23: K to Band Camp 9-3p
July 26 - Aug 6: R to Drama Camp 9-12p
Aug 18-27: K to Marching Band Camp 9-6p
Still working on a week at the beach. And we have one of the kid's friends is staying with us for a few weeks, so we'll fit in trips to Mason Neck Park, a trip downtown, Luray Caverns maybe?
Let's hop into summer full throttle, k.