My girls rock

This has been a year of big changes for my girls.  It started at the end of the last school year where I finally accepted the fact that the school they had been going to just wasn't a good fit anymore.  It came down to the amount of pressure teachers were putting on my girls with no breaks ever.  It felt like the concern was more for the good test scores than to help kids to love to learn.  There is alot of pressure on the school because it is out of the norm and I value the education my girls did get but we needed to dial it back and go to a place that provided a whole or rounded package - where creativity as well as empathy were encouraged and a love of learning taught.   So the girls were enrolled in new schools.  I wanted them to go to the same one but listened to them as well.  Elizabeth decided she would rather do the public route instead so that is what we did. 

Then in August Dad died - big changes for all of us.  We miss him all the time and talk about him alot.  We know he is in Heaven with Mom but it was hard for the girls.  They have had alot of loss in their lives as do we all but they are 11 and 8 and I was worried it would all be more than they could handle.

Well - my girls rock! 

Ella has found her place at St Marks and is valued for all she brings.  They all want to be her friend and no one is picking on her and her teachers support her and show her by their actions, that she matters.   Whew... rock on Ella:

Here she is with some of the kids in her class and with her own report presentation.  

They each did a presentation on a U. S. President.   They did the research and the report as well as the board themselves.   Elizabeth and I helped make sure the letters were straight but that is all we did.  The kids could dress up as their President.  Ella didn't want to wear a white shirt or tie - those are for boys MOM is what she said.  So I reached out to friends and family on Facebook and Michelle let us borrow cowboy stuff from Dylan and Dalton.   Since RR retired to his ranch we went with cowboy.  Ella did great!  Thanks Michelle, Dylan and Dalton. 

The next day I went to an Honor Roll Breakfast at Elizabeth's school.   A Honor Roll - that's how she rocks.  And this is the girl that was struggling with Bs and Cs and now is doing As.  This year she figured out that homework matters and decided to put her best effort forward.   Elizabeth has had to deal with some questionable behavior from other kids at her new school but she has stepped up and is making sure she is doing what she needs to do.  From telling kids to be quiet to asking for help from her teachers.  She is doing it all - I just sit back and give advice when asked.  The only time I talked ot the school was to discuss options because of the boy that picked on her because she is Chinese.  That has stopped and Elizabeth continues to stand up for heself and do great.   The teachers see her good work and applaud her for it.  She is also in accelerated reading, math and writing.   It is so good to see her take ownership and start on the road to maturity.  She is also thinking about changing to St Marks because it is smaller and there is a great class trip when 8th grade  comes.  We continue to discuss but it would only be for the additional options and not because of academics. 

Here she is getting her A Honor  Roll certificate and hanging with her friends at the breakfast:

I am so grateful and happy that my girls are doing good and will continue to support them in what they do.