We had MPA's first-ever 8th grade dinner this week, complete with blue and white balloons, gift bags, a slide show, and students occasionally interacting with their parents (gasp!) in public.  MPA firmly believes that graduation is reserved for seniors who are heading off to college, yet we also recognize a need for our students to have certain "rites of passage" that mark important times in their lives. (Picture Camp Ihduhapi for 5th grade or the Heritage Fair in 7th.)  The current 8th graders wanted to have a dinner to mark the end of Middle School and took this on as a project.  They organized and planned the event, found vendors to donate food (thanks, donors!), and worked hard to ensure the evening would be fun and good for all.  As you may imagine, they did a great job--we shared many laughs and fond memories, and we Middle School teachers will miss them tremendously.  Of course, they won't be far, as a record number of them are "heading off" to MPA's Upper School.  Needless to say, we envy the Upper School teachers! 

Next week marks the end for us all, and I wanted to share a few quick tips to make life easier for your children: 

1. Be sure they have their lockers cleaned out before the last day of school. They are required to have a totally clean locker that Friday the 8th, and they'll be happier if it's done in advance.

2. Be sure they have their gym lockers cleaned out, too!

3. Have them (or you) go through the various lost and found items areas here.  Middle School will be setting out a table of lost and found in the hallway the last week of school, and the PE locker rooms will have something similar.

4. Get those library books returned immediately!

5. Pick them up on time the last day. We excuse at 10:30 a.m., and all students (including 5/6, as there is no Panther Club that day) should leave by 11:00 a.m.  Kids hate being the last ones here....

Have a great last week of the school year!