Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Class Of 2017

On Monday May 23, 2011, Allison completed her tenure in elementary school and participated in a ceremony to mark that milestone.  It is unreal to me that I have a daughter old enough to go to middle school.  It seems like just a few months ago, she was an infant cuddling in my arms.  Allison attended Suntree Elementary since first grade.  Up until that point she had been to a new school every year:  preschool in Texas, kindergarten in Minnesota, and first grade in Florida.  It was such a relief to go back to Suntree for her second grade year and not be the new family.  Having been there since 2004, it was amazing to see all the kids so grown up.  During the ceremony, the teachers posted each child's first grade picture and then their sixth grade picture.  They are not babies anymore!    If you look to the middle of the picture below, you can see Allison filing into her row.  She is still standing and wearing a blue dress.


Here is the picture of her accepting her awards packet from the principal and assistant principal.  It is blurry, because I was so far away and then tried to zoom in on the picture after it was taken.  I was so absorbed in looking at all the kids' pictures that I was surprised when Allison was the next one called up, and I almost totally missed the picture.  So, I was not able to get the zoom set before I took the picture.  Bummer.
 

He she is walking away from the podium.  It still surprises me how tall she has gotten.  She hasn't gained any weight, but she has gotten taller.  She was wearing her fancy earrings and shoes and just looked so grown up. 


The Class of 2017.....the year Allison will graduate from high school was something I had truly never even considered.  It was very strange for me to hear them acknowledge what year she will complete high school.  I am going to try not to think of that for another year or two. 


I am all about taking in the moment and I was looking around the cafeteria and thinking, wow, this will be the last time we are ever going to be in the building. This is IT!  I don't think a 12 year old gets that concept of finality.  A place that was part of her world every day for seven years and that she knows like the back of her hand will just be a memory one day.  She was unimpressed, to say the least.  She thought I was strange for taking a picture of the cafeteria.  I told her that one day she would look at this picture and say, "Oh, yeah.  I remember that school!"  Why, you may ask, will we not be at this school with Leah and Rachel?  Redistricting moved them to another school this past year, so we are officially done with Suntree Elementary.  


Below is a picture of one of Allison friends from Suntree.  Schools here are so different from my little town where everyone goes through all twelve years together.  There are lots of middle schools, so of course zoning seperates some kids from their friends.  Their are also lots of different programs that students apply for that are offered at individual middle schools so that further seperates the kids.  That means that there are four or five different middle schools that Allison's classmates will be going to.  Her friend below will not be going to the same school as Allison, and Allison's very best friend that is already in middle school goes to different school as well.  There will be lots of kids from Suntree at Allison's new school, but there will also be lots of new kids too.  I hope that Allison is able to move into her new school and make new friends.  I know she is going to be very anxious that first week or so, as will I.  But here we go, off to start another chapter in our lives, whether we are ready or not!  Congratulations to the Class of 2017! 



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