But I hate the ending of summer, closing of the pool, losing the freedom to work when I want and play when I want. I also hate the letting go of last year's kids. It's always hard to disconnect and accept that last year's kids are no longer my school family. It isn't until the first day of school when a new set of faces stare up at me from the rug that I truly let go.
School ended on Friday and on Monday I was packing for San Francisco. I packed up my classroom very fast, sometimes throwing misc stuff in bins and saying "I will regret this!!". Usually I try to sort, pitch and pre-organize before I leave. As I work through those MISC bins, I am finding lots of reminders of last year's kids.Hanging on the front board is the army poster that A and B made so I would remember them. (How could I forget?) The big pink sign wishing Prakdale goodbye is signed by each child. I guess Parkdale should have been a spelling word. In one of the desks is a half written book titled "C, My Best Friend" and in another is a note asking D to play at recreation. There are the pencils with E, F and G's names and the broken kitty pencil sharpener that H loved.
Hastily stuck in the top drawer of my desk is the book I wrote for me as a going away present. The topic is trying to figure out what Mrs. F would like as a present besides a hug and a kiss. I concludes that giving me a book she wrote is what I would want and she was right!!
A pile of permission slips from our last field trip waits to be shredded and the file labeled "class lists" needs to be emptied. On our classroom camera there are pictures of J's dad coming to visit after he returned from Kuwait and the compare and contrast posters we made for bats and birds. Post-a-notes stick out of books suggesting " K you would like this book because you have a bunny. L" or "M I think you should read chapter 4- it is funny. N"
Last year's class was unique. Each child's personality was so different and yet they came together and meshed like a group of old friends. At field day, a volunteer was wowed by my class helping and cheering for each other. I would like to take credit for training them that way but that's just who they were. I will miss them!There comes a point every summer when I just have to jump back in. It takes a while to be back in school mode. This is my classroom after working 2 full days. I moved the furniture back to where it should be, unpacked and checked in supplies and then pulled out all the bins I had packed at the end of the year. Whew look at the mess!!
Lots of files to merge and purge!!
Desks need nametags, books, pens and pencils need labels, supplies need a home, calendar needs to be changed, and lesson plans......
Stickers to sort!!
It is difficult to decide what to save -what to pitch this year. We are moving into our new classrooms in March. They will be the same size but 1/3 of the room will be taken up as a cubby room. It will be an exciting year!!Lots to do before September 3rd!!!
As the new school year starts to rev up, I can't help thinking about 20 new third graders, starting the year at Main Street School, separated into different classes. I wonder how they are feeling about going to the "big" school as it is known in our town. I wonder if they will make friends easily or if they will miss their buddies from last year. I wonder what they read over the summer and if they still think of themselves as "Local Authors".
I wonder if O's dad is home and it P's tomatoes grew. I wonder if Q was able to share TV at the farm with the boys and if R has imagined yet another universe. I wonder if S worked on his skate boarding and if T's family is doing ok. I wonder if U , V and W got together to swim like they planned and how X, Y and Z are adjusting to their new siblings. I wonder, wonder, wonder and...... I miss them.
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