Where to even begin?
The last day of elementary school for Ralph.
Those are hard words to look at. Looking back at the past 6 years . . .thinking of his teachers and the staff at Kahoa and how they molded, challenged and humored him, thinking of the lessons he learned at school as well as outside of school and thinking how he has grown into this person who is fully undescribable but is smart, caring, funny, deep in his thinking and yet is not one to quick to get anywhere. To know Ralph is to love Ralph. He has a personality that reaches a lot of people - usually in a good way. He is a friend to many. He enjoyed his teacher as well as his teacher for math and the other teachers he had during other unit rotations.
It may not have hit me as hard as some since Henry will still be at Kahoa. Henry had a good year in 3rd grade. He tolerated the portable classroom just fine. He enjoyed his teacher.
Next year will be a year of firsts as he enters Middle School AND Henry returns to Kahoa as the "oldest/only" student of the family at Kahoa (as noted on the weekly take home folder)
Yesterday the school invited parents to attend the "last 5th grade" lunch where there was as slide show of each student with a baby photo and a current photo. It was fun seeing some of Ralph's friends' baby photos; before we knew them. Most parents brought lunch for their student - I let him have school lunch one last time and brought in dessert.
Today after lunch, the seniors who attended Kahoa were invited back for an honor walk; following their walk the 5th graders were honored. Ralph is crounched down trying to run along the path (you can see his head over Henry (gray shirt).
My one goal was to take a photo of Ralph leaving Kahoa for the last time as a student. I even prepped Henry that I would be at Ralph's door and not his. THEN the rain started just as the bell rang . . not just a drop or two; not just tiny drops but big drops. I had to stand off to the side; slightly undercover missing the shot I waited for for six years . . . ok, not quite that dramatic but still a bummer.
AND the after school treat . . .this year's treat was a stop to Yogurtini. Ralph was hoping his would weigh the magic number (13.6 oz) and he'd get it for free but it was closer to 12.6 oz. He managed to eat it all. Henry's was 10.2 oz - he may have had some help finishing it. (The price is calculated by the weight of the cup and its contents and is weighed at the register.)
