Monday, June 23, 2014

Huckleberry and the 8th Grade

Ironic that the next post to bring me out of hiding would be Huckleberry again, but far flung family hear about the girls all the time, and Huckleberry deserves some spot light.  After all...he did just graduate from 8th grade.  Granted we are looking at houses and some of those houses are in a district that requires 9th graders to be in middle school, so it might just happen again...BUT...


After his spring robotics competition ended; they did MUCH better than before but still lost, he decided to sign up for the school talent show.  And they accepted him.  Most of the students sang or played an instrument...or both.  A few danced.  Huckleberry was the only one to tell a story.

The program said, "Huckleberry : "Not a song" By "Nobody."
He did a remarkable job delivering the story that he wrote himself about a time when he and his friends pranked the school by programming 28 little robots to shoot rubber bands through the halls of the school.  It was funny, engaging, and completely fictional!

The next week we went to his band concert in which they all did a great job.  The drum line was the best part, but we also enjoyed the bands and orchestras and Jonathan's Saxophone playing.

The week after that was his graduation...family might have been a bit tired about trying to plan to be at school events.  SnapDragon also had a concert (during Jonathan's band so Oak went with SnapDragon and I with Huckleberry.)  And we had to miss Sunflower's Kindergarten song and promotion because 8th grade graduation trumps Kindergarten.  I am still a little saddened by it.

Anyway, Jonathan received 4 awards at graduation and is now all ready to be a high schooler.


Receiving his Science Award from his math and science teacher.
His humanities teacher gave him a reward for being "Author Extraordinaire" because of the extra credit novel he worked on this whole year.

Here he is tripping over the balloons his 3rd time past them on his way to accept the award for one of 5 highest GPA's.  His award said 8.38, but he is also proud of his 3.83.  He also got an award (with many more students, but fewer than you'd think) for no behavior issues during the year.


Then one by one the students were called and shook the hands of their teachers across the stage and at the end getting their diploma out of a file folder.

Waiting for his name to be called.
Shaking hands with his band teacher.
Shaking hands with his Robotics Teacher.  This teacher had the potential to make or break Middle School for Huckleberry and he made it...along with many other concerned, creative, and involved teachers.  His school may be a 1 on great schools and not a healthy place for many students, but for Huckleberry, he not only survived but he thrived and bloomed (if you can say that about a boy.)
We praise God, not only for our amazing son, but for God's knowledge of what Middle School would be the best for our child.  I never would have guessed.  What an incredible God we serve...I am so glad we let Him make the choice!
Photobucket