Friday, June 4, 2021

Good Riddance 2020-2021 School Year!

We have officially been out of school for a full week, yay! The last few weeks of this year definitely felt like we were limping to the finish line - we were all tired and grumpy and READY to put this school year in our rearview mirror.

We went into this year with pretty low expectations - we had no idea what to expect and just wanted to survive. Well, the good news is we did more than survive! Overall, I would say we had a pretty darn good year even with multiple quarantines, masks every day {yuck!}, teacher turnover, and all sorts of confusion.

Let's start with the head of our trio. Trent finished 6th grade which is the end of Lower Elementary. He has 2 more years at Goodwater in the Adolescent Community {7th-8th grades}, and I'm already sad that we are nearing the end of Montessori for him.

Start of the year vs. End of year {during his zoom graduation}

Trent surprised us a lot this year with how well he handled all the uncertainty. He had 3 teachers - and they were all new - and a lot of changes. We only had 1 small rough patch {with one 3-day suspension...after all, it wouldn't be Trent without a LITTLE trouble}.

He did struggle a little in the middle of the year with some regression in his skills, but I *think* we've mostly got him caught up. He took the STAAR test in May, so we'll see how that went for him.

He has some good friends in his class that he's excited to have in Adolescent with him, and he's looking forward to the new opportunities and freedoms that will bring. We think he grew a lot this year and are very excited to see him continue to grow!

Silly Kindergartener vs. Mature 6th Grader

Next up - our Drew Baby! Drew had a wonderful year - you would never have known anything was different for her. She should have been in the same class as last year, but with half the school virtual, her guide from last year became a virtual guide, and she changed classrooms. Well, this change put her back in class with her kindergarten bestie and a soccer friend, and she was in HEAVEN.

August vs. May

Academically, she has BLOSSOMED. She maintained consistent growth throughout the year, and we saw her skills really grow - her reading jumped leaps and bounds, she is doing so much more in math! She will take the STAAR tests next year, and based on how she's doing now, she should ace them, yay!

She was actually sad for school to be out - she is a social butterfly, she loves to learn, and loves her teachers. I'm really excited to see how she will do in her last year in Lower Elementary as a leader of the class and in a much more normal year.

Kindergarten {in the same dress ha} vs. 2nd grade
[Why do my kids want to be silly in their Kinder photos?]

And goodness, let's wrap up with our little ball of sunshine. Paige had her first year at Goodwater, and it was a pretty tough start. She spent 6 months at home, then started at a new school with a new teacher and all new students, had to wear a mask all day, it was brutal. For over a month she cried every day at drop-off!

August {with no clue about what was to come} vs. May {she survived!}
It took a little while for her to get settled, but she eventually got there and then it was smooth sailing! When I had the spring conference with her guide, she commented on Paige being so different now vs. the fall. I told her she was finally getting the real Paige, that the one in the fall was NOT our Paige. She is happy, happy, happy at school! She LOVES her guides and friends, she loves everything they do - they sing, they color and paint, she is obsessed with maps, she loves working on her writing/reading {she is starting to read!!!}. Her little best friend, Lucy, will be moving up to elementary next year, but Paige doesn't seem to be too upset - she is thrilled she gets to stay with her beloved Ms. Liliana and Ms. Maria. I think Pre-K4 will be a great year for her!

I'm really looking forward to the next school year - our Governor has already stated masks won't be mandated, and I'm excited for what is in store for our kids. They are all SO happy! But first, I hope to enjoy a great summer!

Peace out, 2020-2021 school year - we won't miss you!


2 comments:

Natasha said...

I'm so glad to hear that despite a few rough patches, your kids did so well in school. We have three weeks left and we're struggling. We won't be sad to see this year go either. And our kids will likely be wearing masks again in the fall but maybe by the end of next school year they will a) have gotten to complete an entire year in person and b) not have to wear masks?!?!? Those all seem like too amazing to comprehend right now.

Enjoy your summer!!!

Kathryn Bagley said...

This school year was so random and with so many unknowns but it seems most kids survived it! Glad yours did! Yay for summer!