8th Grade Day

As the last day of school quickly approached, Kaitlynn was beyond excited for a school event that had been in the works for months: 8th grade day! Teachers, coaches, and parents worked for weeks on end to plan and organize a super special day of activities to celebrate the 8th graders at WoodCreek, and it all culminated in a special Friday toward the end of the school year when the 8th grade class had an entire day of fun hosted in their honor. As a cheerleader, Kaitlynn had to dress in her cheer uniform with a very special addition - a Katy Tigers shirt repping her soon-to-be new campus, Katy High School.

I haven't spent much time volunteering at the kids' schools the past few years, but I definitely wanted to be a part of this special 8th grade day and spend the additional time with Kaitlynn. I volunteered to be a homeroom parent so that I could partner with the teacher, offer snacks and drinks to the class throughout the day, and attend all of the 8th grade day events with Kaitlynn's class. To kick off the special day, the 8th graders participated in a kick-off pep rally, and then the band and cheerleaders led the entire 8th grade class on a parade throughout and around the school perimeter, where friends and family were able to cheer them on and celebrate their last days in junior high. So much fun and HIGH energy from these excited 8th graders!

The premise of 8th Grade Day was kind of like a Field Day for middle schoolers. Each homeroom class had a unique T-shirt and class name, and the classes competed against each other the entire day in numerous activities and game stations both inside and outside of the school. Such a cool concept! The events included Tug of War, Balloon Pop Races, Bingo, Cone Flipping Races, Jeopardy-style Trivia, Tic Tac Toe, and so much more. The kids went from station to station all throughout the day and were able to enjoy some pizza and Chick-fil-A for lunch in between. These kids were WOUND UP and excited all day long, and it was so cool to be there and witness the fun with Kaitlynn and her friends. So thankful for this amazing school!

After all the activities, the day still wasn't over. To close out 8th Grade Day, the school hosted a pep rally to cheer these 8th graders on to success in their next chapter. As a cheerleader, Kaitlynn was able to participate with her cheer squad in a special dance performance that was highly choreographed with some of the 8th grade guys as well. In the weeks leading up to this performance, there was a significant amount of drama and frustration on the part of the cheerleaders and especially Kaitlynn for their roles in the dance. The girls were expected to invite a fellow 8th grade boy to join them in the routine, and Kaitlynn eventually asked her friend Cole to partner with her. Cole was a great sport because they all had to attend weeks of practices to get the performance just right. In the end, the practice and preparation was worth it, because the squad looked great and performed an entertaining and funny routine to close out the long day of fun. What an AMAZING 8th Grade Day for Kaitlynn and her classmates - one she will never forget!