Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes - The End Of Elementary School

Harper started Kindergarten at Overland Elementary in the fall of 2017. Yesterday was her last day of 5th grade, June 10 2023. 6 years!

She didn't quite understand why it was a big deal for me. I said, "if you decide to have kids later on, you'll understand when your kids go to school. And then you might say the same thing to your kids but you probably won't remember that I said this right now." (ha)

I thought back to when I went through school changes, but it was different. My elementary school on Maui went through 8th grade but I left after 6th grade to go to Seabury (7-12 grade). There was no celebration, culmination, graduation. They had that for the 8th graders only. To me it felt like a big change as I was going to a new school before my friends did. (They were all staying until 8th grade.)

Maybe we make a bigger deal of it now? The school and all the parent volunteers who planned and organized everything did a fantastic job. Thursday there was the ceremony at school then a party that night at a fancy venue, then a field day for the short, last school day yesterday (Friday). Harper got lucky as this was the first full year back to "normal" after the pandemic. So her class got all the camps and field trips and activities that had been cancelled the previous two years. 

We had a great time at Overland, good teachers, good friends, so many amazing extras you don't normally get at public schools. (A full time librarian! Unheard of these days, sadly.)

Middle School Adventures ahead!!

(all pics can be clicked for bigger versions)

 

The beaming graduate!

Harper and Bailey

During the ceremony

Bailey and Harper and Estella