Legal Adult

I threw a surprise birthday party for Emily's 18th.

Lunch at Jang Su Jang in Milpitas - Korean BBQ feast!

I gathered friends from both the schools she attended. So it was like a mini-reunion.

Kimber Hills Academy reunion of friends from Preschool - 8th grade 

Washington High School friends 9th-12th grades

Huge thanks to Danika who helped me keep this secret celebration a secret and helped pick up the balloons and cake and gather the kids for me at the restaurant. before we arrived.

Danika, Emily's devoted youth counselor,  created this beautiful favor card!

Emily didn't know what type of party she wanted and doesn't really like to bring attention to herself but I felt that 18 is a momentous age and we should celebrate her! I mean she had to find a new doctor because she can no longer go to her pediatrician whom she has seen her whole life. She is in a whole new age category when I book a flight or hotel for our family. I don't have to sign any documents for her as her parent/guardian. The next would be 21, legal age to drink alcohol, and 25, legal age to rent a car. Then it all goes downhill. Every age afterwards is non-celebratory except maybe 80!

There is a Time for Everything

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to tear down and a time to build” (Ecclesiastes 3:) 

I taught  the 2nd/3rd grade combo class a Monart drawing of a chamleon

Today was my last work day as a substitute teacher at KHA. I’ve been at KHA for 10 years either as a full time teacher, long term sub or regular sub. As the elementary school temporarily closes for a season to get a reboot and overhaul, I am blessed to be given the opportunity to teach these students. It is always a privilege and honor to teach, guide and hopefully positively influence our next generation.  

Since I have taught in both public and private sectors, both have been a joy and a challenge. At KHA it has been so satisfying to tell kids that God loves them without suffering any reprimand or discipline to me. But one of my most favorite memories of teaching at a public school was when a Catholic believing mom of twin girls, who I have never met until that day, whispered to me that she was praying for a Christian teacher for her girls and was overjoyed that I was one of her girl’s teachers. To know that a parent was praying for me even before I arrived gave me a humbling and honoring feeling. Teaching is most certainly not an easy profession but I have to say, it is one of the most rewarding ones. 

#kimberhillsacademy #fremontcommunitychurch #teacherscanmakeadifference

6th grade

Hannah ended her 6th grade with a bang! Her first year in middle school and first time participating in Spirit Week! She was so excited that she laid out all her outfits for the week a week in advance!

Each day is labeled.. I wonder where she gets that from!

Monday was PJ Day.

Apologize for our messy garage..

Tuesday was Character Day.. can you guess who she is?

She has a badge and holding a donut! .. It's Officer Benjamin Clawhauser from Zootopia

Wednesday was Sports Day.

Go Warriors.... next year!

Thursday was Fashion Disaster.

Apparently wearing glasses is not fashionable!

They ended with their Spring dance: Luau themed!

Oh to be young again!

Alumni Performance

Emily performed as an alumni for the first time!

We had students from the Class of 2000 to Class of 2015.

At the last KHA Band Awards & Concert, we had a total of 20 alumni and former students come back to perform for the very first time. A few of whom have not taken out their instruments to play since their 8th grade Band Concert. (My daughter would be one of them!)

It was one of the best highlights of all our years at KHA.

They performed with the current KHA band of 24 students (in white polos).

The alumni are wearing shirts from their current schools either high school or college.

They performed outstandingly! KHA's band director, Tony Bolivar, was so proud of his current and former students!

The Highlights of "Star Wars Saga"

"Best Day of My Life"

"It Is Well"

Sadly since the Middle School will be temporarily suspended, there no longer will be a KHA Advanced Band but I hope that the Alumni will be invited to come play annually! It'll be the only opportunity for Emily to have to take out her clarinet and play!

The Last Mile

My last Jog-A-Thon was in March. We met our goal of $10K by raising $12,676 for classroom enhancements such as interactive magnetic white boards, in-class libraries, tech centers and charter buses for field trips.

Thank you to all of you who supported her!

Hannah raised $595 and ran 22 laps in 30 minutes. That's almost 3 miles!

My cohort Brad Monk, KHA's Athletic Director, oversaw the event by keeping the kids running the whole time!

It is bitter sweet to say good bye to KHA. The Middle School will be temporarily suspended starting  next year so Hannah will be going to a new school next year to finish out her junior high. She will start a new adventure in August. Stay tuned!

1 out of 5

Hannah's middle school went on a community service project back in January. They volunteered at the Alameda County Community Food Bank where they bagged oranges for 2 hours. They bagged 8,065 lbs of oranges which will provide about 6,700 meals to the local community.

Food bins that go out to businesses and organizations to be filled.

One out of five residents in Alameda County receive food from this organization. They serve over 116,000 people a month and depend on volunteers to distribute the food to the needy.

Hannah and her classmates bagging oranges.

For every $1 donated, the Food Bank can purchase $6 worth of food. They have that kind of buying power. Their goal is to rid hunger in the county and they do that through buying second hand or irregular produce and foods that the grocery stores don't want to purchase.

The bagging part of the warehouse.

They receive fresh produce daily so volunteers are needed daily to sort. The sorted foods goes out to organizations within 48 hours. Other foods that come in the donation bins also need to be sorted.

The warehouse is like a Costco but it never stays filled. It empties out within 2 weeks. That's how effective the Food Bank is.

The Food Bank has a huge freezer to accommodate all the fresh produce.

Outside organizations like churches, and community organizations come to the Food Bank to gather food to distribute to the needy. Most of the needy are not the homeless but regular families that live paycheck by paycheck; who need to pay their rent or electricity rather than purchase nutritious food for their families.

Our whole family went this time.

The ACCFB also provides food in mobile trucks that go to local schools to distribute food to needy families.

Emily and some of her youth group with Pastor Doug

In May, I took some of our church's high school students along with some people in my bible study along with Matthew's small group to do what we can to help our community.

Matthew with his friend, Gary

We bagged apples, corn, cabbage and carrots. The Food Bank strives to provide nutritious healthy food to their clients. The don't accept candy nor soda donations.

If you would like to donate, know that for every $1 you give, they can purchase $6 worth of food.
http://www.accfb.org/

And She's Off.. Part Deux!

My Baby is a Middle Schooler!

Hannah starts 6th grade today!

Hannah with her friends Katelyn and Michelle.

Hannah with Katelyn in Kindergarten .. seven years ago.

And there are many changes...
- She starts school 15 minutes earlier than before.
- She'll have a locker.
- She'll have 3-4 teachers (depending on her elective).
- She'll change clothes for PE.
- She'll have an iPad to use for the year.
- She won't have her big sis on campus anymore. :(

But on the upside, Mama will be teaching Yearbook again at the school.

We appreciate your prayers through this process of change for Hannah and that her anxiety won't increase but instead she will gain confidence through the unfamiliar. My prayer 'word' for Hannah through this year is CONFIDENCE. I pray that she will gain confidence in all she does through Christ Jesus.

Emily has officially completed her first week of high school! It's not what she is used to but she is trying to get the hang of everything. My friends say it can take up to six months to a year to transition from private school to public high school. My daughter sees things very black and white so this new season of her life can be very gray-ish. My prayer 'word' for Emily this year is COMPASSION. I pray that she will have compassion for everyone and everything that she encounters that is different from what she is used to and familiar with.

End of a Decade + 1

Before I dive into the Washington DC & New York trip that the 8th grade just came back from I wanted to share about an end of a decade plus one.

ELEVEN YEARS... That's how long Emily has been attending KHA and this is the day we have been waiting for!!

GRADUATION DAY!!

Preschool and 8th Grade Portrait

This past Saturday was KHA's 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony.

19 students graduated that day

Emily gave the Salutatorian Address to her classmates.

You can hear her address here:

It was amazing to see that 11 years ago before school started, I was having a parent-teacher conference telling her preschool teachers about Emily's selective mute anxiety issues.

And here she is speaking in front of not only her classmates but to the school board, faculty, parents, and friends.

As a part of the ceremony, each graduating student also got the opportunity to read a Tribute Letter they wrote to their parents. Afterwards Christine Ingebretson, FCC's Women's Minister and this class' Bible teacher (for 6th and 7th grades) gave the Commencement Address. She encouraged the students to "Have Courage and Be Kind" as they enter into high school.

You can read parts of her excellent speech to the kids here on her blog: Commencement Addresss

Special thank yous go to Don who videoed and Kenny who took pictures of the ceremony.

And since Emily started KHA in Preschool we, her parents, were given the honor of giving her her diploma on stage.

 Lots of our family came to support Emily:

Her Goong Goong and Popo (my parents)

Her Yeh Yeh and Mah Mah (Matthew's parents)

Her E-Ee and E-Jeung and her cousins Daniel, Joshua and Zachy (my sister and her family)

Her Kau Kau and Auntie Hilda (my brother and sister-in-law)

Her Goo-Jeh and Goo-Jeung and cousins, Marissa and Timothy (Matthew's sister and her family)

Extended family  also came:

Auntie Cheryl, Uncle Don, Mandy and Kyle (my cousin and her family) along with my Auntie Doris (not pictured)

 And close friends...

Uncle Greg, Auntie Carolyn, Cory, Craig & Priscilla

Mr. Michael, Ms Angela and Rachel

Owen Sook-Sook, Grace-Ee, Faith and Hope

We also wanted to honor all her teachers and invited them to the graduation and a lunch. Here are a few that came:

Mrs. Stevenson her Junior Kindergarten teacher

Mrs. Choy her 1st Grade teacher

Mrs. Kao her 2nd grade teacher

Mrs. Scott her 6th Grade teacher

....along with Mrs. Ingebretson, her 6th and 7th grade Bible teacher.. who was also the Commencement Speaker at the graduation!

Some good friends came to cheer her on..

Jessica left after Kindergarten

Shawna (left) left after 6th grade and Jennifer (center) left after 4th grade

Bryan is the only classmate that has been in the same class with Emily for 10 years...

Caryn is Emily's twin buddy

Pairing up for Twin Day for the past four years!

Emily even squeezed into the Band Group Photo even though she did not perform. Too busy graduating and the only 8th grader in Band!

Mr. Bolivar her Band Director for the past 5 years

Congratulations to the Class of 2015!