Haircut!!!

Hannah has been growing her bangs out for the last year, as well as the rest of her hair. It was really long and is becoming really thick like mine. But today, she got it cut.

Having spent two days back to back over the weekend in a pool, and it taking Steven nearly 30 minutes to comb out the mess (he has the patience to do that), we determined it was time to cut some of her hair off. Especially with two more foreseeable pool visits just this week and I'm sure plenty more in the summer ahead. It's shorter, the lady took about 8-9 inches off. But still long enough to pull up into a pony or pigtails, etc. And yet short enough so that being in the pool this summer won't be a pain once the fun is over. LOL.

The Final Days of 4th Grade...

It's been a busy few weeks leading up to this last week of school. Hannah's had projects due, presentations to make, poems to memorize, Gold Rush Days, and the list goes on and on. These are pictures of just some of the busyness of the final weeks.

One of the final literature projects of the school year included poetry. Hannah had to read 64 different poems, had to memorize a poem, act one out, and make a poster of another. Her teacher was so impressed with her poster that she asked to keep it as an example to show next years class! California History is what the 4th grade studies and the final theme for the year was the Gold Rush and Mining History of California. The students all had to do some sort of presentation regarding a certain topic and Hannah chose to put together a power point presentation for her class. Daddy let her take our Apple MacBook to school two days in a row until the time finally came for her to do her presentation!Also, in regards to the Gold Rush studies, this past Monday was Gold Rush Days. Ms. Harris had a map for each of the wagon trains to follow to their destination of the land where gold had been found! They had to dress the part as best as they could, dressing as miners would have, they brought wagons, and ate pork and beans, saltines, and water for lunch. They went gold mining and told stories. To finish up their Gold Rush theme, on the morning of the last day of school, they did as the miners use to, they dressed up and went into town to see the Opera. They watched the Opera of Hansel and Gretel and they had special treats for celebration. It was a fun morning and a great way to wrap up the history theme of Mining Days.
Hannah has had an amazing school year. There are a lot of opinions floating around out there about the teacher which she had, some really like her (like we do!) and others absolutely do not care for her. This teacher is the most creative teacher you'll ever come across. Her way of thinking outside the box, teaching outside the box, and creating wonderful and fun lesson plans (such as these Gold Rush Days or Shelter Day back in November. She's taught the kids songs and riddles and shared stories of her growing up, her travels around the world, and her adventures. She's been absolutely amazing, and we will miss having her as Hannah's teacher greatly. She's made a huge impact and that makes her a great teacher!

Perfect Attendance

Today was a big day as far as recognizing perfect attendance goes. Hannah is one of ten students (out of 750+) in the school that has perfect attendance for the entire school year! Perfect attendance at our school means on time, everyday, all day. No tardies, or early dismissals count against you. And I am proud to say Hannah has perfect attendance for the school year!!!

To celebrate the accomplishment of the few who attained this achievement, a special lunch was given in their honor. They got to order WHATEVER they wanted from McDonalds and it was catered in (by yours truly) and they had lunch with the principal and assistant principal. Hannah really enjoyed that!
And then in the early afternoon, the perfect attendance assemblies were held and she was once again recognized with first the perfect attendance for the year, and then the perfect attendance for the trimester. Unlike last trimester, she did not get her name drawn for a gift card, but she did receive a trophy for her perfect year!

Play Day

Today was a Play Day for the intermediate grades at school, the primary grades had their day yesterday. This special event was designed as a reward for all the students who did not receive citations or referrals this trimester.

The morning started off with races amongst the grades and finished with different game booths up on the upper fields of the playground. Hannah ran the 100 yard dash and came in 4th out of 6th place! And then later participated in a four person relay.

Magnet School Open House

Our girls go to a Magnet School. It's a public school whereas they have extra studies in a certain area, for example, our school is a performing and visual arts Magnet school. They still dedicate time to visual arts and performing arts, which has sadly been cut in the budgets by most school districts all across California. You also don't have to live in the school's zone or district to attend, but do have to apply and be accepted, which is how we attend this school.

Every year, at the end of the school year, an open house is held for a few hours in the beginning of the school day. All over the school campus, classes are performing, instructing, viewing, and displaying artwork they've worked on through the school year.

A talent show showcased students who tried out and made it into the talent show for the morning.Hannah's class showcased their terra cotta head sculptures. They've been working on them for weeks and then let them dry and then into the kiln they went. They were all nicely done and unique!This evening, a Twilight Concert was held so that all the 4th graders could demonstrate what they've learned this school year on their recorders, and then the beginning and advanced bands held a concert following. We are so very blessed for our girls to attend such a wonderful school. Hannah loves art and I think is finding a new enjoyment and appreciation for the performing arts as well. It was a great day and our school is filled with very talented and amazing students!

Holiday Weekend Camping

Camping at the beach is how we spent our Memorial Day Weekend. And what a great way to spend it! Normally, our group is a little larger, but no one was successful at getting reservations for the holiday weekend and we were lucky enough to be invited to pitch our tent on our friends' site who have a trailer.

The girls LOVE camping. And were very much looking forward to our weekend away. We were packed and loaded up and were on our way just as soon as Hannah got out of school on that Friday afternoon. Here are some pictures of Hannah from the weekend:

Morning walks on the beach and skipping rocks in the lagoon. VG's Bakery every morning for fresh donuts and pastries.
Hannah LOVED the cinnamon roll. The campground is located on the cliffs overlooking the beach and ocean. And in those cliffs are lots and lots of squirrels. They were not shy or scared of the people on the beach and would come right up to you looking for food. It's kinda weird to see squirrels on the beach. LOL. Here's our little boogie boarder. Scott found this wet suit in a thrift store, her size, for only $6.00!! Isn't she cute???Just hanging out with her sister.We had a great time hanging out and spending time with our friends and are looking forward to our time camping again in July, when we'll camp the longest we've ever camped - 6 nights!!