Last Day of School
Today, Jeremy and Karinna had their last day of school. They both have learned so much and grown so much this past year. Teresa and I got them some gifts to celebrate their achievements. Karinna got a very light, aluminum bat for fastpitch softball. Jeremy got a Razor scooter. Before we presented them with their gifts, we talked about each of them and how much they had accomplished this past year.
For Karinna, we talked about how she had grown spiritually - she prays for her friends who are sick or in need and she asks her Sunday School teachers probing questions (like what happens if someone doesn't ever hear about God). In music, she took 2nd place in a piano recital/competition at the conservatory. Academically, she tested into the GATE program and completed a research project on Ireland (culminating with a brief speech in front of the class). Socially, she learned how to navigate the complexities of maintaining multiple (competing) friendships in her class. Karinna also really took an interest in softball this year and was motivated enough to work on her pitching drills every day and take pitching lessons from a former Cal softball star.
As for Jeremy, we talked about how he learned to read, spell, write sentences, add, and subtract. He developed a knack for being the first to complete his weekly math test with no errors. Jeremy also has come to understand what it means to be believe in Jesus. Socially, Jeremy has developed a number of good friends and learned about being a good teammate on his T-ball team. He also developed an interest in basketball - one of his favorite activities during recess. At home, Jeremy spends a lot of time building lego sets (unassisted) and playing on the Wii. Recently, he has taken to reading Star Wars and Avatar books on his own.
The final part of the annual review included a challenge to improve in a specific area (details are confidential).
Last but not least, Jack wanted to be treated just like his siblings. We told him how he had not only learned to breath, eat and sleep outside the womb, but also to walk, eat solid food, say a few words, clap and give high fives. We challenged him to learn his ABC's, count to 10 and talk in sentences in order to be up for a promotion next year...
For Karinna, we talked about how she had grown spiritually - she prays for her friends who are sick or in need and she asks her Sunday School teachers probing questions (like what happens if someone doesn't ever hear about God). In music, she took 2nd place in a piano recital/competition at the conservatory. Academically, she tested into the GATE program and completed a research project on Ireland (culminating with a brief speech in front of the class). Socially, she learned how to navigate the complexities of maintaining multiple (competing) friendships in her class. Karinna also really took an interest in softball this year and was motivated enough to work on her pitching drills every day and take pitching lessons from a former Cal softball star.
As for Jeremy, we talked about how he learned to read, spell, write sentences, add, and subtract. He developed a knack for being the first to complete his weekly math test with no errors. Jeremy also has come to understand what it means to be believe in Jesus. Socially, Jeremy has developed a number of good friends and learned about being a good teammate on his T-ball team. He also developed an interest in basketball - one of his favorite activities during recess. At home, Jeremy spends a lot of time building lego sets (unassisted) and playing on the Wii. Recently, he has taken to reading Star Wars and Avatar books on his own.
The final part of the annual review included a challenge to improve in a specific area (details are confidential).
Last but not least, Jack wanted to be treated just like his siblings. We told him how he had not only learned to breath, eat and sleep outside the womb, but also to walk, eat solid food, say a few words, clap and give high fives. We challenged him to learn his ABC's, count to 10 and talk in sentences in order to be up for a promotion next year...
posted by ivan at 8:02 PM
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