The Last Day of School

I thought it would be fun to compare the first day of school pictures with the last day of school pictures:

Connor on first day of 9th grade...


Connor on last day...now on to High School and 10th grade!


Cheyenne on first day of 8th grade...


Cheyenne on last day...on to 9th grade!


Boston, Sierra & Annicha on first day of 09-10 year of school


Boston, Sierra & Annicha on last day of the year...

Boston will be in 5th grade, Sierra is off to Junior High and Annicha will start 2nd grade in the fall. In the fall, Joran will be able to join the school going kids-he can't wait...that will make one in High School, two in Junior High, and three in elementary and only one left at home!

Sierra's 6th Grade Awards/ Graduation Night

Here is our sweet Sierra graduating from 6th grade! She received many awards as well. She is so quiet and shy- a"behind the scenes" type of girl. It is nice to see her recognized for her hard work. She received 16 seals: Honor Roll 1st term, 100% prepared 1st term, Honor Roll 2nd term, 100%prepared 2nd term, Honor Roll 3rd term, 100%Prepared 3rd term, Peer Leader 4th term, Math Facts, Summer Reading, DARE graduate, Student of the Month, Honor Roll 4th term, 100% Prepared 4th term, Citizenship, Behavior-able to attend all monthly activities, and Presidential Excellence. She also received an award for good attendance, a pin with a purple and white ribbon (all the pins and ribbons stand for something, but I'll have to ask the kids and then edit-I can't remember right now)
Here is Sierra receiving her seals, pin and ribbons. Her homeroom teacher is on the right: Mrs Ellis.

A couple posts previous I explained the Presidential Achievement Award (it was a post of Connor's year end awards). In elementary school, to be eligible, students must achieve in the 85th percentile or higher in math or reading on the Standardized Achievement Test and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher during their fifth and sixth grade years. Jeff and I were able to award her her certificate and medallion for this award (she also got a letter from President Obama).

Here we all are...way to go Sierra!

Jeff had to run to High Counsel Meeting right after she was given this award. Sierra was also awarded the Citizenship Award- given to honor the students who have shown by their works and action that they consistently exhibit the kinds of behaviors we want to see displayed in schools and communities. These students are always prepared in class, have their homework finished on time, volunteer whenever volunteers are needed, help others, always play fair, and treat everyone with respect. Parents were able to award this award as well, but we didn't get a picture, so we took one once we got home! This award is so Sierra!


Here is a picture of Sierra's group of friends minus her closest friend Katie (she had to leave the second the awards were over for a dance recital) who we will post a picture with later. These girls are the best of the best!

Here is Sierra by the Viking...she will now move on to be a Scorpian!

So cute, so smart and so sweet-that's our Sierra! We love you for all your work this year!

Connor's First Day of Work

Here is Connor being a little cheesy for me...today I excused him from school so that he could lifeguard. The elementary schools usually go to the Aquatic Center for about 3-4 hours during the last week of school and of course they have to have lifeguards! Connor volunteered to work two days this week...here he is on his first day as a "working man". He had a test on the day that our elementary kids were supposed to go- but as luck would have it they weren't able to go due to weather! Connor is all set to lifeguard all summer...I should take a picture of his white skin and then compare what he'll look like when the pool closes in September!

Annicha & Boston Year End Awards 2010

Well...just when I thought I was all caught up! Boston and Annicha came home with their year end awards...I didn't even know about the awards assembly...so sorry I missed it :( ( add it to the Mother of the Year file!)

Here is my little Annicha...just finishing first grade. She received four seals: writing, citizenship, school pride and reading. She also received a good attendance award and a star student pin! In case you didn't notice...she also got bangs in the last couple days...she loves them straight across...maybe one day she'll let me side swipe them- she looks so cute that way too...Way to Go Annicha we sure love you :)

Here is my big Boston...finishing up fourth grade (already- WOW!) He had to have a little help holding his awards...Boston earned 18 seals: Math/Science Olympiad, Utah History Person Report, Utah History Counties, Science-water/weather, Science-rocks/soil, Science-Utah Biomes, Home Reading minutes, 100% laps, Math timings, Cursive Handwriting, summer reading, !st quarter Honor Roll, 2nd quarter Honor Roll, 3rd quarter Honor Roll, 4th quarter Honor Roll, no blue slips, citizenship and Doctorates Degree. He also received a school honor roll pin with purple and white ribbons. Way to go Boston!


We are so pleased with all the hard work our children have put in this year!

Boston at the Math -Science Olympiad

Boston was chosen to participate in the Krypto (a math card game) portion of the Math/Science Olympiad again this year. Their table was way over in the corner so I couldn't get many pictures...his teacher took some, but I will have to add those when she sends them to me. Boston is on the left, then Alex and Corbin. Way to go boys!

Sierra's Piano Recital

Sierra had her spring recital last wednesday...she played the theme from the movie Aladin...I Can Show You The World. All 22 of the students played pieces from different movies...two from Star Wars, The Little Mermaid, The Notebook, Somewhere in Time, and so on. It was a really fun recital and Sierra did a great job! She really liked this piece so she didn't have me nagging her to practice. Since she had to memorize it, she is now playing the piece every time she walks by the piano-I think to drive me nuts :)

a closer view...she had her highlights done this afternoon and was so excited!

another view-you can see her face in this one!

Way to go Sierra we are so happy you are sticking out the piano lessons!

Boston's Fourth Grade Play!

Boston's class put on a play-Hans and Greta-here are a couple pictures from the play. Boston is partially hidden...

Here he is taking a bow...in the black shirt and glasses

one more where he isn't hidden...

Way to go Boston!

Sandridge Year End Awards Connor & Cheyenne

Hopefully this will make sense...there are pics attached to every award so hopefully it will help to explain the different awards. The junior high holds an awards night and each year it is a little different.
Connor was awarded the "Freedom Leadership Award" from the Wasatch Kiwanis Club for exemplary citizenship, scholarly achievement, productive activity, self-discipline, and desirable qualities of personality, while assuming leadership responsibilities.
Here he is walking away with his award.

Cheyenne received an award for maintaining a 4.0 all year..here she is


Connor followed right behind Cheyenne in line (arranged alphabetically) and received and award for 3.7 or higher all three years (this is weird-keep reading to see why), 4.0 all year, outstanding math student and outstanding social studies student (this was his second trip to the stage).


Next he and the others that received the President's Education Award were recognized-they received their awards at the banquet (previous post) but the Principal and counselors wanted them to be recognized...Connor's third trip to the stage...

another pics of the same group

This is Connor coming down from his fourth trip to the stage being recognized as a Scorpion Scholar- 4.0 all three years at the school (see why the grade point award was weird???)

He was embarrassed to make so many trip to the stage and some of the faculty that joke with him said they should have named the evening the "Connor Awards". I just told him all of that hard work is paying off and he is just being recognized for it.
We are sure proud of Connor and Cheyenne for their hard work!

Maren's Bandaids

I think you have learned from all the previous posts that Maren has an addiction to sticky things...here she is after biting her lip and doctored herself...

the bonk on her head was another incident...we had multiple bandaids on that one for days as well...in case you are wondering-the bandaids are hidden and placed up high...she just climbed the shelves to find them so I figured it was much safer to let her have them.

Connor Receives Presidential Award

We received a letter last week inviting us to attend a special brunch at the Junior High in honor of those receiving the Presidential award...maintaining 3 years on the Honor Roll and above the 85th percentile (Nation Wide) on their CORE tests.
Here is a picture of Connor receiving his award...it was awarded by his counselor, the man with the beard is the other counselor and then Mr. Marchant the Principal.

The award included a certificate signed by the President of the United States, A letter from the President of the United States, a Presidential Academics pin and a shirt from the High School. Here is Connor with the Principal...

Now with his certificate...

This is a picture of the entire group that received the same award...all 9th graders! It was great to see some of Connor's best buddies (boys and girls) in this group! Connor is third from the right and next to him is his best buddy Josh :0

One more!

Congratulations Connor!

Surprise to Me!

This is how my husband came home from work on Friday! Was I mad...pretty much (I'm just being honest!) He knows I hate his hair short...but he loves it short! So to explain this and give him credit, this is the whole story...Jeff teaches elementary school. The students participated in a fund raiser...it was a walk-a-thon. The students got sponsors to donate for every lap they walked. The goal was $5000. As motivation (last year they didn't earn very much), different teachers volunteered to do different/funny things for different levels of earnings. The reading teachers did a 80's lipsync for the first $1000. Some of the other teachers got pies thrown in their faces for $2000-$3000. The principal covered his face with shaving cream and got cheetos thrown at him (sticking to the shaving cream) for $4000. If they reached their goal of $5000, Jeff said he would shave his head. Like I said before, they didn't raise much last year so he wasn't too worried. Well the final fund raising was ...$8000! He was the grand finale of the assembly-all the others did their thing as the amounts were announced. They had even arranged for a beautician to come and shave it- the kids were all chanting "Shave It Off"... for him it is no big deal-it's just hair, it will grow back. I don't think he realizes the implications for me. Some of you might remember 9 years ago when he had cancer and was bald for about 7 months while going through chemo...when he walked in I was just sick...I remember him mentioning to me weeks before that he was thinking of that as an option...I just wasn't prepared when he walked in...we even had people at church asking to make sure he wasn't doing chemo again...His coloring is much better than during chemo, but I told him no more surprises like that!

What was he thinking!???

My Baby, Maren, is 3!

Maren chose princess tableware for her special dinner...the boys were pretty good to eat with pink princess plates, napkins and cups :)

Here are her balloons...some of her favorites...Sesame Street, Princesses and one that says Happy Birthday..we couldn't find balloons with Tink.

Cheyenne decorated and set the table for her

Here she is eating her requested meal...homemade hamburger and fries...wearing her crown of course.

Here are the PINK presents...can you guess her favorite color?

Her first gift...a Tinkerbell backpack...she has carried it everywhere full of her other gifts!

When we got to the new clothes...she would make comments like Oh, or cute, but would immediately go for the stickers on them...

Collecting more stickers...

pulling off more stickers...

not one piece of clothing went without sticker removal...we couldn't move on to the next gift until all the stickers were taken off the clothes.

This is the first place she puts her stickers when she gets them

more clothes = more stickers

and the shorts too...of course

cute outfit...notice there are no stickers.

Annicha volunteered to hold her sticker so she could pull the next one off

More cute clothes...

Maren covered in the stickers...

Here they all are...

Maren eats sleeps and breathes Dora the Explorer...so here she is on her cake

Maren blowing out the candles...

I didn't get a picture...but Grandpa and Grandma brought over some dress-up shoes later that evening...she's been clacking all over our house in them!
Grandpa and Grandma Stephens were out of town, but gave her the Leapster games and then brought her lunch when they got back...
Happy Birthday Maren! We sure love you...you provide so much comic relief, hugs and kisses, and just blow us away with how smart you are, how big your vocabulary is, how much you notice and that you remember everything!