Hate goodbyes. Always have. They’re hard. And always will be. But, this year’s goodbyes seem even a little harder. After a full year of Smiles and Frowns, we have formed some rather strong bonds, and we will sincerely miss what we have shared. Never have I had the privilege of being part of such a deeply connected classroom community, and not just in one of my classes, but all five. Today, we will say goodbye in third and fifth. For the next two days we are on a two-hour block schedule for finals. Periods one, three, and five today. Periods two, four, and six tomorrow. And then on Thursday, our last day, we will have 15 minute periods before our end of the year activities. So, we are saying our formal goodbyes today. Plus, many kids will not come on the last day, so today we start our goodbyes.

Twenty years ago, I wrote something for my kids called the “Last Word.” They were my first class, and I had them for two years, and “goodbye” seemed not enough, so I wrote each a little note to honor them and our time together. This year, goodbye feels inadequate, too, so I wrote each of the kids a short Sappy Sy Rhyme. This was a particular challenge, for it is hard to both rhyme and capture something of significance for each kid. I did my best. I have included today’s below. I will read and distribute them to both periods. Gonna miss these kiddos. A lot.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns

…have our final Community Circle of the year

…end with Sappy Sy Rhymes

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.