Sad Last Day of School

Most kids are happy to have summer vacation, but not Erin. She loved her Kindergarten friends and teacher. It was a safe, familiar environment and she enjoyed going to school every day. She's a bit apprehensive about going to first grade and has told her Kindergarten teacher that she doesn't want to graduate from Kindergarten.
Wednesday was the last day of school. There was an award ceremony where Erin earned the Reading Olympics Gold Medal, Superstar Math Award, Academic Achievement Award, and a Commended Attendance Award (I think she missed one day). She is very proud of all her awards. She also brought home a memory book that she has been working on all year. It's a collection of pictures from various events throughout the school year that the kids pasted onto construction paper, then the teacher laminated them to preserve them forever. It was a great keepsake. After the award ceremony, Erin said goodbye to all her friends. Here are some pictures from her last day.

Erin and Shannon looking at their memory books.

And here she is with her beloved teacher, Mrs. Wilsie. Notice the necklace and earrings Mrs. Wilsie is wearing. That was Erin's teacher gift to her.

After Erin left school and got home, it took about 30 minutes before it really sank in that Kindergarten was over. Erin started crying and whaling that she missed her friends. We looked at her memory book together so she could remember the good times, but that just made her cry more. We played the DVD the teacher sent home of all the pictures from the school year. Erin just sobbed and sobbed about how she didn't want Kindergarten to end. After some good tears and talking about her classmates, she calmed down and was able to accept that play dates with her friends during the summer would be good enough.

Some kids jump for joy at the last day of school. My Erin bawled her eyes out.