Fourth Grade Farewell

Today they had Zach's fourth grade farewell ceremony. It's a small class, about 33 kids in the entire grade. They are all wonderful kids with a lot to offer. They still have two more days of school. But, this was the ceremony celebrating the accumulation of five years at a wonderful elementary school.

Kindergarten

4th Grade

In two days, year 5 of 13 will be completed. They will be moving on to year 6 of the most important 13 years of their lives. I have cried some, but not as much as I thought. Because this is just the middle of their journey. They still have eight years together. But, I have been reflecting on Zach's preschool graduation and the summer before kindergarten.

Kindergarten, I smile at that. Below is the blog post from that summer before kindergarten. I talked about a friend Zach made the May before kindergarten started. They met at orientation. Will they be best friends when they graduate from high school?

They are friends but not best friends. But, he is on Zach's travel baseball team now. There is potential for the friendship to grow. That graduation picture might still happen. He had a best friend early on. A different kid. But, they grew apart. They still hang out a little bit sometimes. Zach has a nice group of friends. In reality, this class just welcomed anyone. It's one of the many things that make this class unique.

Summer Before Kindergarten:

https://homewithmommy-fran.blogspot.com/2014/07/we-will-still-be-friends-forever.html

He started Kindergarten in the fall of 2014. In October of 2016, I did the following blog post. It was about the night he graduated from preschool in June of 2014. The night time stood still. The night when the graduates played as the evening became twilight. As bedtimes approached on the same hill they loved to play on. The same hill they knew they would never play on again.

https://homewithmommy-fran.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-night-time-stood-still.html

Today, they took a few pictures. Then they left school early for some family time. They will see each other a lot in the future. This isn't the day they won't want to leave the same place they currently love to leave.

On Thursday, we will all clap as they walk through the halls and out the school doors one last time. Some will want to just get home and have lunch. Others, won't want to leave just yet. Zach will be one of them. One of the kids that wants to play in the back. Where they have spent a lot of recess time.

While this school still belongs to them. While this is what is familiar. Holding on to those memories and reflecting on the things they can do now that they couldn't do when they started. Holding on to friendships that might fade as new friendships grow in the coming years. That day, that last day, will be the afternoon that time stood still.