Schools out!

I know school has been out for a couple weeks, but I wanted to get these pics posted. This year has been a great one for all three of my kids, and a big thanks goes out to Mrs. Chrisman and Miss Evavold! Here is Ressa with Miss E. on the last day of school. It was only a half day and the 1st and 2nd grades had a water day out in the field. I brought Lauren along to help volunteer and prepared lunch for all the little rascals.

Each class and their teacher chose a "Character Student of the Year" and they had an assembly to announce which students had been selected.  Character Education focuses on teaching respect, caring, responsibility, trustworthiness, etc. So the teachers made a dvd of them naming their student and giving examples of how they showed these characteristics throughout the year. Ressa was awarded the student of the year for her class and she was so excited! Here are the girls after the award assembly,

I was asked by the Character Education Team to write a little something for their report, telling how I have felt about the program and how the PTO has supported it. I found it a little ironic, because of course, it is the parent's responsibiltiy to teach their children values and we expect the school to reinforce those values, not the other way around. I didn't need to get all wordy and preachy, so here is what I wrote:

As parents, we have the primary responsibility of teaching our children honesty, accountability, kindness, and many other important attributes at an early age. I am thrilled that my childrens' character development is being continued at school. I have been pleased with the efforts that Imagine at Coolidge has made in teaching and reinforcing these important lessons to my three children. I feel that the school and I are working as a team to better prepare my children for a better future. The parent/teacher relationship is vital in helping our children reach their highest potential, which is the primary reason I volunteer as the PTO president. The PTO has been active in supporting character development by promoting family friendly activities such as family movie nights, bingo night, food drives, and helping sponsor Family Character Night.

I want to thank the Character Team for all their efforts in keeping this program strong! You have my support!