9th Grade Sterling Scholar - Choir

   It was an afternoon the end of May, the phone rings, and I didn't quite get to it, and no one left a message.  I see that it was the Junior High that had called.  So I call back to see if Kenzie was trying to get a hold of me.  No, she wasn't in the office that they could see.  "Curious" I thought, but didn't worry about it.  If she needed me she would call back.  Not to much later, C calls me.  He just had an interesting phone call he tells me.  "I just got off the phone with the Vice Principal, at the Junior High."  I have one slight moment of "oh no, what did she do?"  But, it was ALL good.  She was calling to tell us that Kenzie had been chosen to receive a "prestigious" award, and invite us to the Awards Assembly where she would receive it.  She asked us not to say anything to McKenzie because she knew nothing of it either.  She would not elaborate anymore either. So we waited for the day.  Off she went excited for the Assembly, all dressed up looking beautiful.  She was excited for it being the end of the year, the class awards, the yearbooks, the dance, and a little nervous.  She had been asked to sing the National Anthem, solo! But, we assured her all would be well, and off she went.  Less than an hour later, C and kids and I head up to the school.  We "hid" in the back, and got to hear her sing.  She did great.  And then we waited.  I looked at all the title of the awards they were giving out, try do decide what  she might be getting.  It wasn't helping though.  Who really knew.  We had to wait!  As the assembly went on, we were checking off the list, no not that, not that...we were almost to the end.  The only thing left was Sterling Scholar.  Sterling Scholar!  We didn't even know that they gave out Sterling Scholar in 9th grade.  But, then, it was the end of the assembly, except Sterling Scholar.  The Principal gets up and tells a little background about these awards, and that at least half of those that received Sterling Scholar from the Junior High 4 years ago, where Sterling Scholar recipients this year their Senior year at their respective High Schools.   Not a bad statistic!  And he begins to present the award.  The first one he gives out is for the Fine Arts, Kenzie's choir teach stands and tells what qualities the recipiant of this award had accomplished to receive this award.  3 years of choir, never missed a performance, showed dedication and leadership to classmates, and the arts.  And then she said McKenzie's name.  We all were SO surprised, and SO excited.  Our little girl, Sterling Scholar!