Aidan's 8th Grade Recognition

Aidan will be moving on to high school!  That is a crazy thought!  But it is true!  I had the opportunity to attend his 8th grade recognition lunch.  They presented the Academic Presidential Awards, shared fun memories/thoughts about his class, heard a few words from the high school principal and vice-principal, and watched a fun slide show.  Aidan is very blessed to be part of an amazing class!  They are a very diverse class, but they are so tight-knit.  They look out for each other.  They build each other up.  They cheer for each others' successes.  Almost everyday when I pick Aidan up, the first words out of his mouth are, "What's for dinner?" followed by, "I want to tell you what cool thing so and so did."  He is always eager to brag about his friends' successes before he tells me anything about himself.  The kids he goes to school with are all like that.  They know how to have a lot of fun, but they also know how to work hard.  I love hearing about all their shenanigans.  They are able to joke around with their teachers because their teachers know they will also buckle down and work hard.  I've heard about the 3 on 3 basketball tournament in the hallway in between testing periods (played on their knees - Aidan has scars to prove it).  I just learned about "raisin day" competition.  Group projects are normally my worst nightmare, but not with Aidan's class.  I have loved the group projects that have taken place at our house.  Everyone doing their part and lots of laughter.  I'm not sure Powell Middle School assemblies will ever be the same again after this 8th grade class leaves.  They will for sure not ever be as entertaining!  It is a blessing for Aidan to be part of group driven to excel in everything they do: academics, athletics, drama, music, citizenship, and service.  Aidan is such a fun kid!  He loves to be doing something all the time.  He is driven, energetic, goofy, compassionate, kind, and still tells me he loves me every morning before he leaves for school!  It is hard to not think of him as my "little boy," but he is growing up.  He has actually started growing this year.  He is almost as tall as me!  I'm sure by the time he starts his freshman year, he will have passed me in height.  I'm so proud of all Aidan's hard work.  He most definitely is deserving of the Presidential Academic Award!

 

Westside Marathon 2016

 

Several years ago, the kids' elementary school began the tradition of running a marathon each year.  The kids use one of their recesses a week (two recesses on early release Wednesday weeks) and run laps at school.  6 laps = 1 mile  They keep track of how many laps they run each "lap day" and work toward accruing enough laps to qualify to run the last mile of their marathon at the end of the school year.  K/1st graders run a half marathon.  They need 12 miles before the last lap day to qualify.  2nd/3rd graders run a 3/4 marathon.  They need 18 miles before last lap day.  4th/5th graders need to run 25 miles before the last lap day.  My girlies all ran more than the required laps to qualify.  I always loved hearing how many laps they were able to run on lap days.  It seemed like the worse the weather, the more laps they ran.  Seems a bit backwards to me, but since we live in Wyoming and the weather is so crazy, maybe that is the best way to have it.  This year the middle school track was unavailable to run on to finish their marathon, so our awesome PE teacher, Mr. Robertson, and our amazing principal, Mrs. Woyak, came up with an ingenious idea to have the route be around the hospital/school neighborhood.  It worked out fantastic!  I didn't get to run with the girls this year because I am an aide in kindergarten, so I needed to "run" with some of the kiddos in the class I work in.  But the girls had fun friends to run with, and they were super speedy.  I love their enthusiasm, their hard work, and their fun, energetic personalities.  Getting to go to work everyday with my girls is such a fun thing! 

 

 

Megan - 5th grade, Kenna - 3rd grade, Ashlee - 1st grade

Kenna has a hard time giving me a nice smile in pictures.  This is usually how most of the pictures end up.  Goofy girl!

 

Megan ran with her bucket pals from 2nd grade.  Ashlee celebrated at the end with her sisters and Kenna's good friend.

The 3 Amigos - It's fun to have one of your best friends be your cousin!  These 3 girls are lots of fun and got to be in the same class this year.  They have a fabulous teacher that knew just how to tame their bubbly, talkative personalities to make sure work got done in the classroom.  (They had squares on the carpet at opposite ends from each other. Haha!)  A marathon was the perfect way to wear them out just a bit.

Apparently, it was a full day of learning, marathon finishing, and playing after school!  I found these 3 sacked out in my bed at 7:30 pm!

Election Results

And the results are in......DRUM ROLL, PLEASE..... Your new Westside Student Council Historians for the 2016-2017 school year are....Kenna Jacobsen and Caitlin Belmont!  How fun it will be to spend the school year with such a good friend recording all the fun events happening at Westside Elementary School.  Love these two girls! (And they both were superstar runners and finished their marathon the same day results were announced!)

 

Student Council Elections

My sweet 3rd grader decided to run for Student Council Historian for next school year.  Kenna just amazes me with her confidence and people skills.  She is such a good friend to everyone and loves to make people happy.  She wrote her own speech (with a little help from her older sister).  Megan loved helping Kenna with her posters, and I loved watching them work together.  It makes my mom heart happy to watch my children sincerely love each other, encourage each other, and cheer each other on.  Results will be announced tomorrow morning during morning announcements.  Stay tuned for the results!

 

Each candidate was able to ask some friends to help hold their posters while they gave their speech.  I loved that every one of them with a sibling at the school asked their sibling to help them.  It was so fun to see Ashlee so proud of her big sister and Kenna so happy to have her help her.  She had a few other friends help too, but they were on the other side of Kenna.

National Honor Society

Aaron was inducted in the Powell High School Chapter of National Honor Society tonight.  Unfortunately, Andy had to work out of town and couldn't be there for the ceremony.  I am so thankful I was able to be there.  Aaron most definitely has all the characteristics they look for in an inductee for the NHS.  He is very driven academically.  He has good character.  I don't know that I know a more compassionate, kind, caring, empathetic teenager.  Aaron always teaches me how to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ.  He strives everyday to treat others the way the Savior would, and it is hard for him to understand why others look for ways to tear other people down.  He likes to give service, and he is a natural leader.  Aaron leads by example.  He is not a vocal, bossy leader.  He just quietly goes about doing good.  The ceremony was short and sweet, but it was nice to share this special evening with Aaron.  I have a hard time admitting that he is 16, finishing his sophomore year, and gaining independence.  He reminds me that it is only 2 years until he can put in his mission papers.  AHHHH!!!!  I have so much to teach him.  I have so many fun memories I want to make with him still at home.  I AM NOT OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE A 16 YEAR OLD!!!  But since I do have a 16 year old, I am very thankful he has been an easy teenager.  He has made it easy to be the mom of a teenager.  I am savoring this time with him.  I thank Heavenly Father every day for allowing me to be his mother!  I know there are great things in Heavenly Father's plan for Aaron.

 

Receiving his certificate of membership from PHS Principal Jim Kuhn.

I feel very short standing next to this handsome young man.