Foreign Exchange Students - June 27th

We are hosting 2 Chinese foreign exchange students for a month.  They don't speak too much English, that's why they are here.  They take classes all day at the University of La Verne.  I take them to school and pick them up and make sure they have breakfast and dinner.  It has been interesting.  They have never been to the U.S. before.  They sure had a fun time at Best Buy and Target looking at all the electronics.  I think they have spent close to $500 in stuff already and they have only been here for a few days!  I was told that they are taxed heavily in China so actually buying all this stuff (that is actually made in China) is cheaper here than back home for them.  They are 12 and 13 years old.  They are bigger than we expected too, which means that they don't fit in the dresser drawers that we cleared out for them.  They are staying in two twin beds in Andrew's room and all our kids are in the girls' room, Ella and Andrew on air mattresses.  More of our experiences with them will come soon!

Library Craft - June 26th

They had a craft of decorating graham crackers at the library and the kids enjoyed putting their own fun toppings on them.  They got to eat them after too. 

Summertime Fun - June 22/23rd

The kids put on a fashion show with their stuffed animals.  It was fun to see how many ideas they could come up with, with stuff that we already had.  There were themed outfits, matching ones and I had to judge them on a scale of 1-10.  We went to a park and played soccer and tennis one evening, with a neighbor girl, Kiley.  They sure enjoy being outside in the evenings when the weather cools off.

Swimming - June 18th

My friend Sandy, has access to a pool in Upland and we went with her and her son, Sean, to swim on Monday.  It was fun, especially since we haven't swam yet this year.  They all got a little bit of color! No more Dollar Store sunscreen for us!

Father's Day Weekend - June 16/17th

James bar be qued up some rosemary ranch chicken kabobs for Father's day, they were so tasty!  Andrew is showing off his little league trophy he earned after the end of the season's closing ceremony.

Library Animal Show and Spa Party - June 15th

The library was kicking off their Summer Reading program by hosting a Wildlife Animal Show.  It was pretty cool.  We saw a baby alligator, an albino hedgehog and a boa and some lizard that looked like a snake, and a ground hog to name a few.  That evening Kaitlyn and Ella had some of their friends over for a Spa party.  They did little facials and put on face masks.  I also took them to Micheal's where they learned how to make a duct tape wallet.  It was a night full of fun!

Last Baseball Game - June 9th

Andrew with his baseball coach.

The three amigos! Sean, Andrew and Andrew.

Andrew had his last baseball game on Saturday.  He had a fun time!  Earlier that day we went to play lazer tag, eat some frozen yogurt (we just told Andrew it was ice-cream, so he would eat it), went to a Luau at a community park and went to eat sandwiches at Togo's for dinner!  It was a celebration of the end of school for all the kids!  Andrew had a little party on June 11th for baseball.  His coach awarded him with the "Golden Glove" award.  He earned it by not letting a ball get by him in the outfield.  He was a great defender and loved to catch those balls and throw them to the base. 

Last Day of School - June 7th

Little Andrew and Big Andrew!

Ella, Ava and Brooke

Kaitlyn, Emma and Thanh

Ella and Emily during their pizza party!

Kaitlyn, Emma, Thanh and Michelle after the promotion ceremony.  the medals around their necks were part of earning the presidential award.

A bunch of best buds!

Kaitlyn and her teacher, Mrs. Dunville

Earning her Honors A.R. certificate!

The kids had a short last day of school.  There was an awards assembly in the morning and then a promotion ceremony for the 5th graders after that.  Then school was pretty much over.  I tried to get pictures of each of the kids.  Ella's class earned a pizza party, winning the spirit award for the last trimester of school.  Andrew had an ice-cream party (which I will have to get the photo off of James' phone-it's a good one!).  I am sad that Kaitlyn will no longer be at Oak Mesa, but look forward to what great opportunities she will have in middle school.  I was impressed with Kaitlyn.  She worked really hard this past year in school.  She was the secretary in student council, and she participated in S.W.A.T (a student mentoring program where the older kids help out the younger kids).  She had three main goals, earn her Honors level in the Accelerated Reader program (earning 100 points in quizzes taken on books she has read that are 6th grade level or higher), make Honor Choir and earn the Presidential Award (have a 3.5 gpa for 4th and 5th grade years and score advanced in state testing in either math or language arts-she got advanced in both subjects and earned straight A's)!!!  Ella also earned straight A's!  And Andrew is well prepared for 1st grade, reading books at a 2-3 grade level and writing short stories and paragraphs already!  Such a bunch of smartie pants!

Third Grade Picnic - June 6th

Ella, along with all of the third grade students enjoyed a fun day of outside activities, food and games.  She enjoyed the parachute the most I think.  Her teacher let her be the only student who was allowed to step on the parachute to make it go back down to the ground.  She also played hot potato with a big bouncy ball with some friends.  We got a little color being outside all day, but there was a really nice breeze so it wasn't too hot. 

Lunch Reward and Cooking Contest - June 6th

Kaitlyn had a cooking contest in her class today.  She made homemade Oreo cookies with cream cheese frosting.  She won first place!  She also earned the D.C.C end of the year lunch.  This was an extra, challenging math assignment that was given out each week.  Only those students who completed the challenge each week successfully were able to have lunch from In N' Out.  Out of the entire class, there were only 6 students who made it all year!  I went and picked up their orders and took them to school for them to enjoy.  Way to go, Kaitlyn!

Lunch time at school - June 5th

Ella playing 4-square

Someone pulled a fast one on me and I got out!

I ran to Carl's Jr. to pick up lunch for the kids in Ella's class that made earned the last trimester's "lunch bunch."  Ella was one of 2 girls in her 3rd grade class to earn it this trimester!  To earn lunch with the teacher you have to turn in all of your school assignments and homework on time.  She earned all three special lunches this past school year!  I played 4-square out on the playground with her for a bit.  Then I went and snagged Kaitlyn in the lunch room and smeared more sunscreen on her.  She had a field day - kick ball tournament outside all day and I didn't want her to get fried.  She was eating a school lunch and her home lunch (hungry girl from all that outside play)! I love how I can just walk on campus and hang out with the kiddos and see what they are up to!

Baseball Game - June 4th

Go #99!

Andrew is the boy on the right.

Andrew had a game tonight.  It was fun to see how much he has improved over the last few months of playing baseball.  I think his favorite position is 1st base or shortstop.  They get to have the coach pitch the balls to them.  He is so cute in all his little baseball clothes!

5th Grade Swim Party - June 4th

Going off the high dive!

Lunch time - so much food!

It is tradition for the 5th graders to have a swim party at Las Flores pool at the end of the school year.  They get to spend the whole day playing and swimming.  There was music, a photo booth with silly beach/luau props and of course lots of food!  It turned out to be a really nice day!

School Carnival - June 1st

It's a Luau night!

A cupcake for cupcake!

Ella and Kaitlyn with their friends, Trisha and Thanh!

Yes, there was a lot going on this first day of June....Two birthday parties and then the school carnival.  The school had an In N' Out truck come that served up burgers, there were nachos, kettle corn, baked goods, a cake walk, lazer tag, climbing rock wall, face painting, sand art and tons of games.  The kids each had a passport with so much "money" to use and they each decided what they would do.  It was a fun night.  And of course at the end there were prizes for all the tickets they earned playing games.

Kaitlyn Ice Blocking - June 1st

Kaitlyn's friend Ella took her friends ice blocking for her birthday party.  Kaitlyn was picked up after school and they went to this park that has a pretty steep slope of grass.  She sure looks like she had a good time!

Sean's Bday Party - June 1st

Sean and Andrew

Andrew hitting balls at 45 mph!

Ella had to give it a try too!

Sean had his birthday party at Frozen Ropes in Glendora.  Ella came with us too, since Kaitlyn was still in school and went to another birthday party for her friend named Ella.  At this party, they played kickball and then had lots of food and each of the kids got to hit some balls.  Super fun!  Andrew and Ella both really got into it!

Open House - May 31st

Andrew with his buddies, Jacob and Sean.

Andrew with his teacher, Mrs. Arreguin.

Ella's "Flat Stanley" school project was sent to Selena Gomez and she mailed this back to the school!

Ella and her teacher, Mrs. Krausfeldt.

Kaitlyn and her teacher, Mrs. Dunville.

Andrew's certificate for how many word he has read and taken AR tests on!  42,000 (that's not including books he read for fun and didn't take AR tests on either)!

 

May 31st was Open House at Oak Mesa Elementary school.  The kids get all their assignments and projects put out for display in all the classrooms.  What is also nice, is that the next day, before it all gets taken down and brought home, the kids walk thru all the other classrooms so that they can see what everyone has been doing all year in each of the other classrooms.  The kids sure were busy all year!