We started school on August 21st.
Emma is in 9th grade and has a busy schedule with Honors Biology, Humanities/English, Honors Geometry, PE, Bel Canto (Women’s choir) and Mandarin. She likes all her teachers and made the A-PAC dance team which meets after school on Mondays and Tuesdays. This group of ten girls will be going to Japan in November. She also started early morning seminary. There are twenty seminary students that meet at the Spencer’s home 6am, M-TH. On Wednesdays at 7 she rushes to the school with Maddie and Shannon for a 45 minute morning choir practice. She tries to fit in piano practicing and we started paying her to teach Tessa piano lessons.
Emma is in 9th grade and has a busy schedule with Honors Biology, Humanities/English, Honors Geometry, PE, Bel Canto (Women’s choir) and Mandarin. She likes all her teachers and made the A-PAC dance team which meets after school on Mondays and Tuesdays. This group of ten girls will be going to Japan in November. She also started early morning seminary. There are twenty seminary students that meet at the Spencer’s home 6am, M-TH. On Wednesdays at 7 she rushes to the school with Maddie and Shannon for a 45 minute morning choir practice. She tries to fit in piano practicing and we started paying her to teach Tessa piano lessons.
James is in the 7th grade. He has a pretty heavy homework load each night with Algebra and other subjects. He says his Mandarin teacher is mean but he likes his elective of “backstage drama” where they are making and painting the set for the HS play. He hurt his foot the second week of school playing Rugby and was on crutches for a week. He did an excellent job on his media presentation for religion, “What are my religious beliefs and where did they come from?” He has opportunities to share his testimony often. James and Tate are in morning choir together each Tuesday morning and he is diligent at practicing the piano. He is working hard at Boy Scouts every Wednesday night and he loves YM activities. John is the Deacon adviser and does a fantastic job with these boys!
Eliza is in the 5th grade. Her teacher is new to Concordia and very strict. Eliza came home the first day worried since the teacher would say things like “feet on the floor and backs up straight.” I was impressed with Mrs Richmond when I met her at the parent’s night. Yes, she seems strict but she is also going to teach them a ton this year. Eliza has volunteered to give up several recesses to help organize their class library. She brought home this note yesterday from her teacher, “I love your enthusiasm for setting up the class library. It is becoming a place where we can easily find any book we are looking for and, in a big way, that is because of you.” Eliza also participates in an early morning choir on Tuesdays and she loves that they are already working on Christmas music. She also is continuing piano lessons and plays the violin in the 5th grade orchestra. She still participates in the school girl scout troop since our branch isn’t very consistent with Activity Days.
Tessa is in Kindergarten. She adjusted well to wearing the school uniform and the long school day (leaving at 7:20 and getting back at 4:00). When we met Tessa's kindergarten teacher, Mrs Nurre, for the first time before school started I showed her a list of all of Tessa's medications and told her about JDM and Turners. She had tears in her eyes and said, "I have had Lupus for 15 years and have taken all of these medications before." They hugged and bonded immediately. Tender Mercy for sure! Tessa is a leader in their classroom. Everyone in the elementary school knows her. I have parents and teachers come up to me all the time saying that they love Tessa’s smile and how she radiates joy. I am Tessa’s room mom. I help in the classroom every Tuesday afternoon and will plan their holiday parties.
