It has been an emotional week for me. My baby, Kiki Aru, finished up elementary school and will be attending middle school next year. Today we said "goodbye" to Sunnyside Elementary.
Kiki Aru was my only child who attended this school kindergarten through fifth grade. She knew no other school. Z2 and The Princess attended Meridian Elementary in Meridian, Idaho, besides attending Sunnyside.
Even though the building has changed, Sunnyside Elementary has a lot of history in our family. I know my dad's sister Ruth attended Sunnyside, and I assume my dad did as well. My brother, sister and I all attended Sunnyside Elementary. My mother was a teacher at Sunnyside for many years. That is what makes Kiki Aru's departure so emotional...there is a lot of family history associated with that school.
Kiki Aru had wonderful teachers during her years at Sunnyside. They were caring and really helped her learn a lot about, not only school work but herself as well.
I'd like to take a few moments to say thanks...
Kindergarten: Mrs. Cougher--Thank you for helping her learn to read well, and teaching her lots of fundamental skills that have stayed with her during her elementary school years.
First Grade: Mrs. Wick--You challenged her and pushed her to do her best.
Second Grade: Mrs. Ketchum--You care and are compassionate, and teach them, not only to be a good student, but a good person as well.
Third Grade: Mrs. Kilbourne--You found the unique qualities in her and helped her spread her wings, and also challenged her in many area. You also made it possible to see Sally Ride.
Fourth Grade: Mrs. Ketchum--Yes, the same teacher, just another year. You developed a special bond with your students, and treated each of them like they were your own special child.
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Lamphere: You were a perfect ending to her elementary school years. She loved your sense of humor, and you were a wonderful teacher. Thank you for a wonderful year.
Principal: Mr. Shepperd: Thank you for six wonderful years of working as a volunteer at your school, and helping with some wonderful projects. It is a wonderful school.
Goodbye, Sunnyside. We will all miss you, an hope to come back a visit someday.
Do you have any fun memories to share from your days as a students at Sunnyside Elementary...I'd love to hear them.
8 comments:
Obviously I dont have no memories of Sunnyside, but what a great name for a school :)....
All 4 of me lads went to our local village infant school (age 4-7) and then junior school (age 7-10), as did their father (spit lol) before them..... all 4 of me lads also went to the same Senior School (age 11-16) as did there father, only back in those days the senior school was JUST for boys and the girls school was 4 miles away...... now of course its a mixed school....... my Jacob is obviously still there....
long roots with our schools here, and sad days when me lads jumped from one school to the next one up..... I will of been with our senior school and involved in many of its activities and groups for 16 years by the time my Jacob leaves there in 2 and a bit years time...... that is a long long association with one school :).....
x
I also had the experience of having a group of teachers at Sunnyside School that gave me wings to fly. Fun memories: the chili feed, Christmas program (sixth graders),mungy day,and playing "horses" on the playground, kickball, and "third graders on the other side."
One of my fondest memories from Sunnyside is having inlandempire girl as a teacher for a few weeks. She came in to sub at the end of my sixth grade year due to my teacher's illness. She was young, blonde, beautiful. The boys were in love with her because of her beauty, but we all loved her kindness and rapport with the class. I don't want to reveal our advanced ages, IEG, but that was 30 years ago this spring!
My favorite memory happened in the fifth grade. A cold snap hit Kellogg. It was well below zero (F). The sky was cloudless. It was noon recess. It was too cold for the teachers to come out for playground duty. The snow was about a foot deep and crusty and dry. We boys did something we could never do: we played tackle football. Our running in the snow and our contact with each blocking and tackling flushed our faces with warmth. We hardly noticed our freezing it was. No one got hurt. We got away with doing the forbidden and we all obediently filed back into our classes when the end of noon recess bell rang.
It was one of my happiest day at Sunnyside elementary school.
Oops, make that 31 years, IEG.
My only memories of Sunnyside School was during the middle quarters of Winter '90 - '91 when my two oldest daughters went there.
My second daughter was in kindergarten. V was so excited about a clown that was coming for a Children's event at our church, that she couldn't wait to get there to pass out flyers. As she was running up to the school (older building) she tripped and fell with her top lip hitting the curb full force.
I was called to the school to find her with her top lip swollen about 4 times normal size. She was in the nurses office with ice on it, but she wanted to pass out her flyers. The principal vetoed the flyer distribution - citing separation of church and state (although the state wasn't promoting anything). She was so upset, she cried and cried. She couldn't understand why she couldn't invite her friends to the clown event.
How do you explain to a small child that some people do not believe in giving people the opportunity to make their own choices.
Legally, she should have been able to distribute the flyers before and after school, and possibly at lunchtime without disrupting classes. The problem was not that the law was on our side, but it would be difficult to convince a judge that the child had initiated the invitiation and not we, the parents, because she was so young. How could he not tell from her crocodile tears that this meant everything to her? Yet, we let the issue go. After having a Christmas program that centered on the theme "I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas" and this incident, I was glad to leave that school.
Laurie,
I can remember it like yesterday. What a great experience we all had. I knew then that teaching was going to work for me and now next week I will finish my 30th year! Thanks for the kind words.
Sorry to put a wet blanket on everyone else's comments. Those incidents were the first to pop into my mind.
My girls had great teachers and loved going to school there - even if it was just for 2 quarters. (First and fourth quarters were in Pinehurst - long story, long year that one.)
M made a cake for a carnival and won first place. I remember the carnival was a lot of fun. M's class also made the newspaper, and I have a clipping somewhere. . .
Wow, that was 16 yrs ago! Just before we moved here.
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