PRE-K GRADUATION!!!!!

We'd been waiting for this for months - the pre-k pandas class of 2012 finally had their big night!  I'm not going to lie, I was totally anti pre-k graduation nonsense until I had a kid in pre-k.  Yes, it is over the top and the caps and gowns might have been a bit excessive, but it was the cutest stinkin' thing I had seen in a long time.  You could tell that both the teachers and kids put A LOT of work into the event.  There were close to 30 kids on the stage that they arranged into small groups so that all of the kids had a chance to come up center stage during one of the songs.  They showed off their sign language skills, sang in Hebrew and Spanish.  Addy even had a solo speaking part that she worked like a champ.  She came right up at the beginning of the night and asked everyone to stand for the pledge of allegiance.  Then she held the flag and started the room in the pledge. 

The best was probably all of the songs they sang.  Each kid was sitting up on stage, singing and boppin' to the song.  I had not heard Addy sing a single one of the songs at home, so I didn't even know she knew the song, but she was singing along.  Ms. Laura had put together a slide show with pictures from the year, so the kids came off stage and sat in the seats to watch that.  It was cute hearing their reaction to the different pics that popped up.  All around cuteness! 

 Here is Addy accepting her "diploma"

 Everybody on stage.  They practiced for weeks in the class and then moved into the auditorium. Even had a dress rehearsal with the gowns - very well executed production.

 Cuteness!

 Addy with Ms. Bari.  Ms. Bari was her teacher when she was 3 and she LOVED Ms. Bari and Ms. Simone's class.  

 Addy loved all of her pre-k teachers, but Ms. Vera was extra special.  

The family 

(minus Ella who had just finished cake and wouldn't sit still for the picture)