Band Concert

Seventh grade in a new school. In a "real" middle school. Miles and Taylor took a year off from piano and concentrated on Band. Miles played Clarinet, maintaing First Chair ranking all year. Taylor played Trombone and was First Chair most of the year too. Taylor and one other student would compete for First Chair, you know how it goes.

The boy's final concert put all the students together for an evening. The students have transformed into real musicians. We enjoyed listening to the musical talent from these hard working kids. I am sorry to say, the boys will not be in Band next year. However, they are going back to piano and picking up two new instruments. Taylor is playing the drums and Miles is learning the guitar.

In addition to all of this, Taylor is learning to run the sound and lights board at church. He is in training to run the board for Youth Worship! How did I wind up with such musical geniuses? Watch out for Emma, we've challenged the boys to teach her piano basics this summer. We'll have our own garage band in no time.

Here are some pictures from the boy's concert. Enjoy!

Miles

Taylor

The Band

Honor's Awards

We are so proud of Emma and her diligence with school this year. I am proud of each of my kids, they have such a positive attitude about school (most of the time) and work so hard toward good grades. We came into another new school, the third one in three years. A new state, new friends, new teachers, new expectations. Jamie and I couldn't be more proud of their accomplishments.

Emma and Taylor made Honor Roll, Miles missed it by one B. I have to admit, I was a little confused by the system the school uses to determine Honor Roll. In elementary school the students have to maintain all A's and all E's in conduct. This can be a challenge especially for little one's, Emma was awarded a medal and certificate for her persistence.

In middle school, the criteria is just as difficult. Students are allowed only one B for the year. One B, the rest have to be A's. That's a pretty tough standard to meet. I know in college getting A's and B's is considered Dean's List material. Which is difficult enough. So I told Miles not to be discouraged, he made the Dean's List in my book for maintaining all A's with 2 B's.

We weren't able to make the Honor's Banquet for Taylor, but cheered for Emma at school during the Honor's Assembly. Emma received a Good Character Award too. I know I'm their mom, but I think my kids are awesome! I can't wait until next year.

Checking the List

Proud Parents

Proud Emma

Emma & Tommy (her friend)

Field Day 2009

Emma was so excited to participate in Field Day this year. This is the first time she has attended a school which sponsors this event. Emma, with a group of three other friends, competed in a variety of events against other classmates. The face painting booth was by far the most popular and her favorite. Emma even supported our former favorite place to call home, Fruita! I had a lot of fun too, as a parent and a teacher. My fifth grade class was outside for their Field Day at the same time as Emma. What a good day, I can't wait until next year!

Let's Do The Time Warp Again!

Salyers Spring Dance was a back to the future flash. The theme was Time Warp and encouraged partygoers to come dressed in styles from the '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s or today. Being part of PTO and a regular face around the school has some advantages. I get to participate not only with the decorating, but dress up and be free advertising for the fun. I was representing the late'60s/early '70s clad in a cute dress and black leather boots (imagine Nancy Sinatra). Ms. Grounds, the principal, told me later some of the girls told her they wanted to come dressed like me. It was a lot of fun.

Miles and Taylor, my helpful twosome, dressed up too. Many people thought they were dressed like the Blues Brothers. We put them to work most of the night being stage control. The kids wanted to go on the stage with the DJ. When they weren't on the job, Miles had fun dancing and socializing with the kids on the dance floor. Taylor was happy watching from the sidelines, and Emma was running around having fun with her friends.

The highlight of the evening was Miles dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller with one of his middle school friend's dad. This totally embarrassed the girl and Taylor, but Miles was just having fun. I can't wait until next year, perhaps Desperately Seeking Susan or Sixteen Candles for my costume? You'll have to tune in to find out!

A Beautiful Place

To celebrate Earth Day this year the PTO at Salyers sponsored a Beautification Day. Miles, Taylor, Emma and I worked at the school digging, planting and transplanting to create a new garden space outside the Fourth and Fifth grade halls. All of the classes pass by the garden on their way to the playground. We made a vegetable garden with tomatoes, peppers, and squash; an herb garden, and a butterfly garden. It was so nice to provide a new home for the butterflies the First graders raised. They have a butterfly life cycle unit in which they raise Monarch Butterflies in the classroom!

What made this project even more special was including bricks from the original Salyers Elementary School as the foundation for the beds. Salyers celebrates 50 years in the community this year and is the original school for Spring ISD! How amazing to be a part of such a rich history.

I am so proud of all the hard work my kids put in to our new community. This summer we volunteered to take care of watering and weeding the garden with hopes of planting fall vegetables to watch and learn about when school starts in August! We'll keep you posted on the garden!

GO FISH!

The cafeteria stage was transformed into an underwater adventure starring Salyers' Second Grade! Emma was a Zebrafish whose extreme makeover didn't quite come out right. The kids really had fun acting out this musical play with silly songs and even sillier dialogue. Emma stole the show with her witty one-liners. She is a natural born star, watch out Broadway!

Snake Man!

Every December our school invites a very special guest to visit and bring along some very special friends. I know you're thinking of the Man in Red and those mythical flying creatures who brings presents to all the good little boys and girls. It isn't Jolly Ol' St. Nick who is bringing joy to the children but none other than the infamous (at least around these parts) Clint the Snake Man!

Mr. Snake Man, as he's so lovingly referred to by the kids, visits for a whole week! He brings all varieties of nonvenomous snakes, many of which are indigenous to the greater Houston area. As a PTO mom I was able to assist Mr. Snake Man almost the entire week! I had so much fun teaching the kids and many of the adults about these magical creatures. There were Milk Snakes, Banded Kingsnakes, Speckled Kingsnakes, Corn Snakes, African Ball Python, and the special guest, Hurricane Joe, the Albino Boa Constrictor.

This is probably the most anticipated event our school hosts each year and I am privileged to be a part of it this year. Here are a few pictures of Emma and me with the snakes!

Lunch with Emma

Every Monday I show up to Emma's school and eat lunch with her. We sit at a special table in the back of the cafeteria and enjoy each other's company and some really good food. I usually go out and bring her Chick-fil-A or a sub sandwich from Lenny's. Today, I brought her a lunch, made with love, from my own kitchen. As you can see, Emma has a very big sub sandwich. Some things take two hands!

I love spending time with Emma. It makes my day so special. I always get a few waves of 'hello' from her friends. The teachers always smile when they see me enter the cafeteria. Most of all, I know how much it means to my little girl that I set aside time just for her. Now the boys have started asking
me to join them for lunch. I don't know many middle school kids who actually want their parents to come have lunch with them, but at least mine still want me around, for now.

These are the pictures of my lunch with Emma. Beautiful, I know . . . perhaps next time I can post some of Emma with a few of her close friends. Enjoy your Monday!