School Year Recap (2025-2026)

This past school year, we had a High Schooler who started 9th Grade, a 7th Grader and a 4th Grader. Recapping the school year of how things went for each child. I may add some mor to this post but for now, this is a recap.

Our 4th Grader

It was a big change for my 4th Grader last year. We moved from one elementary school to the next. Stepping into a new school, meeting new classmates who are familiar with their classmates, experiencing a new style of teaching, and adopting to a new school system is no small feat. But we adjusted well.

What he loved:

• He loved his teacher
• Making new friends
• The playground because they could play soccer
• Uniform was more like wear something comfortable
• The principal is very laid back
• He well with his academics and learned to play the recorder

The Negative

• School isn’t as close
• The drive was a little further away than the previous school but I got used to it after a while; it even felt relaxing. My son took the bus most days but we did car rider days a day or two most weeks along with after school pickup every now and then.

Our 7th Grader

My daughter remained in honors class in Grade 7 as she did in 6th. She remained with most of the kids from her 6th Grade class to which many of them were friends.

• The friend group was fun to watch
• School is super close by
• This year was tough as far as the amount of work those kids were given – Lots of busy work and lots of projects. My daughter had a project that took them over a month to create. It was team work so she and her teammate (friend) were at each other’s houses almost each week trying to complete each part of the project. They had to squeeze in time whenever they could because their after school time was already filled with extra curricular activities.

9th Grader

It was a big year for my eldest entering into High School. At first, it sounded scary. The thought of being among the big kids and adopting to new ways of school.

• That school has over 2000 kids from 9-12 grade. It’s a big school with kids from all ages and different walks of life.
• However, my daughter adjusted well. The no uniform was her favorite. Anything goes and I mean anything. OK, for the most part, the kids were dressed fine. Occasionally, a super short pants of tummy showing top would pop up. But nothing like teens walking around in shorts and hoodies with flip flops, bedroom slippers or pajamas for school. What???? Where’s the line? In any event, overall it’s ok.
• It was so cool though to watch all these high schoolers come and go in the morning and afternoon.

The negative

• At first, we could not figure out how to sign up for sports. It was a hoop of finding out from one person to the next of contacts and a string of emails trying to figure out how to sign up.
• Lunch time was a downer. She had none of her friends in her lunch group. She tried to find a community during lunch but it wasn’t successful. At a point or two, someone would ask her to join their group for the lunch but it would only last for that day.
• At another point, she made a “friend” for lunch who ditched her many days to eat with another friend.
• Once, around Spring or not too long before summer, it worked in my daughter’s favor to lunch with her original friends. She was so excited and I was very excited for her too. That new “friend” seemed upset about it. Needless to say, they didn’t have lunch together for the rest of the school year.

Exams were ok – she did well. They didn’t have to stay at school all day if they were done with testing for that day. And once all their exams were officially done, they could be done with school the rest of the time. She got out a week before the official end date. That she was happy about. That time was spent practicing nails and making the rounds to drop off and pick up the other kids with mom.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).