Last Day of Second Grade

-
Griffin is going to get the best birthday present tomorrow...it will be the first day of summer vacation! As excited as he is for it to be over, it has to be said that he has had a remarkable year.  I feel a lot of that is due to his excellent teacher, Mr. Thomas. 

Mr. Thomas is a kind and engaging teacher.  His ability to to grow his students knowledge and confidence is evident in Griffin's much improved standardized test scores, his increased zest for information and his excitement to go to school each day.

Although the kids had a blast in this classroom, there was a lot of serious learning going on, even in their down time.  I don't believe the TV was ever turned on except for serious educational videos (such a change from our experience years past.)  The students became a large group of friends that enjoyed and respected one another without those cliques that plague other classrooms.  We really could not be more thankful for this wonderful teacher and amazing group of students and the wonderful impact they had on Griffin. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dr. Seuss Party, Part 1 Decor and Food

-
Image
I have to say,  Bruce and I totally knocked ourselves out to throw Lucy the best Dr. Seuss 4th birthday party that we could and I am pretty proud of the results!  It was a wonderful day for her and hopefully for all her friends that came. Our kids have LOVED the story The Lorax for a while now and were so excited to go see the movie.  Bruce had a brilliant idea to make his own truffula trees .  With some PVC pipe and spray paint he put these together.  I made the tops out of tissue paper (tutorials widely available).  Of course, once I got started on them, I just had to make some extras to hang around the dining room.  I used the extra paper to make a super colorful one for the front porch.  These were so easy and cheap to make, I highly recommend them as party decorations for all different types of themes!   I printed out some of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes and gussied them up with some fancy paper cutters (Thanks, ...
Read more

Griffin is 20 today.

-
Image
I can't believe we've arrived here...I can't believe I am old enough to have a 20 year old son!  He is a full grown adult and absolutely living life his own way, on his own terms and doing it quite well.  Griffin is living in a small town in Germany with his girlfriend and 2 cats.  He is currently in a nursing program that also allows him to work in their local hospital (his school/work life is completely in German!)  He's been able to spend some time traveling around Germany, exploring his community, and forming lovely connections with his girlfriend's family.  While we miss him so very much, we are so proud of him and the way he is making it happen.  And of course, hoping for a visit very soon!  Happy Birthday, Griffin.  We love you! Birthday Interview What activities/sports/clubs were you involved in this year? None What pets do you have? Iris and Daisy, my kitties Where did you work or study this year? Hufeland Klinikum Where is 1 place you re...
Read more

Griffin is 19.

-
Image
My heart is all jumbled up on this big day.  Last July, Griffin moved to Muhlhausen; Germany to attend university and live with his love, Alicia.     He has regaled us with stories of exploring Berlin, using the train system on his one hour/each way commute every day to school,  embracing the traditions and holidays of his new community,  learning to live independently and all the responsibilities it entails and perhaps the biggest challenge of all...becoming fluent in German.   I am so proud of him.  This is what we raised him for, to be independent, to have big dreams, to work hard to make your goals a reality.  I am stunned by his bravery, joyful at his quest for adventure and impressed by his commitment.  And today, like most everyday, I carry a deep ache to hug my son, to go to bed and know he is tucked in safely just a few feet away, to make him a birthday fruit pizza and snap pictures when he blows out the candles.  I wi...
Read more