School is Out

 Today is the  last day of (virtual) school. Even though our district opened up schools, first in a hybrid mode (in the fall) and then fully Monday-Thursday (in the spring), we made the decision to stick with the virtual learning. It wasn’t all smooth sailing and it certainly wasn’t perfect. I wouldn’t want our kids to do that again any time soon… But it worked out OK. 

Our youngest (7) has finished 1st grade. She is reading chapter books! To put things into perspective, at the beginning of the school year, she was grumpily getting through the 1-line-a-page books (level D, maybe?). Reading was hard and not even close to being fun. Now – she reads in bed, in the car, on the sofa, in the hammock outside… whipping through A-Z Mysteries, Horrible Harry, Fancy Nancy, and even trying out Harry Potter. She is doing well in math, she is curious, and she has an impressive vocabulary and can express her thoughts very well.

The older daughter (10) is doing great. Especially in math. I am getting a bit concerned that she is going to be bored in her 6th grade math class next year (because our oldest is in 6th grade now and his math is not particularly challenging…) She also reads a lot. She loves Ruby Redford books. She loves to bake. She is also very, very organized (not in terms of her possessions, but inside her head). With this child, I haven’t had to ask if she missed any assignments, or forgot to turn something in, or if she has homework that still needs to be done… she is on top of all the school stuff. She is also on top of some of my stuff, which can be slightly annoying at times (she makes lists for parties and trips… I am not big on lists…).

Our oldest (12) has finished his first year of middle school! Virtual middle school was no joke… There were struggles – not academically, but in terms of staying focused (ahem, youtube) and remembering to complete and turn in assignments that were “due”. There were some classes and teachers he loved (STEM, History). He got good grades (mostly… except for one bombed babysitting assignment for Home Econ). He did OK in accelerated math – although I am not sure how much he retained… The teachers were teaching both virtual and in-class students at the same time – a situation that’s super challenging for both the teachers and the students… Still, he has learned, he persevered, and he is very excited about doing the real thing next year in 7th grade.

Now the transition to summer begins… and transitions are the worst. Kids are bickering downstairs about legos, lunch, and goodness knows what else. I am shutting my door and letting them figure it out.