Counting Down

Do you remember being in elementary school and counting down to the last day of school? Oh, the deliciousness of that! One of the perks of being a first grade teacher is that  I get to count those days down year after year. (Kind of like the movie "Groundhog Day", except this is the end of May.)

Other wonderful things about the last days of school?

1. The cafeteria menu lists "Manager's Choice" for the last week. This means the lunch ladies clean out every freezer, and each child in line gets a different meal. (My class eats lunch at 10:30am and the pickins' can be slim. I cannot imagine what the fifth graders are pulling two hours later.)

2. My students don't wear watches. Or don't tell time if it's not o'clock or something-thirty. If recess is expanded a wee bit (or a big bit) for the teacher to relax a smidgen, they are none the wiser.

3. The School Talent Show. Today's K/lst version included a Celtic dancer, a glow in the dark hula hoop routine, an electric guitar rendition of "Wild Thang"(along with vocals) and the days of the week sung in Spanish. Whole lot of The Happy during that program.

4. The kids are realizing they won't see each other for a while, and they spontaneously say such sweet things to each other. I heard one of my sweeties tell a little girl at the table, "I just can't figure out how you can look so pretty every single day." Melt my heart.

5. The parents are my friends by this time of year. I jokingly tell them that grades are already in, and if they'd like to take their child out early it would be fine. They laugh, slap my arm and run in the other direction. Because they are about to have the Summer Shift, and are enjoying the last days of freedom.

6. These last days fly by. Seriously, we say the pledge and then it seems like we are immediately packing up to go home. Bittersweet, this new time continuum. Could have used it in that looooooooong stretch to Thanksgiving last fall...

7. When rules are broken, I can ask, "How many days have we been in school?" (170) "How many days has that been a rule?" (170) Point made; case closed.

8. Today, everyone, everyone, had their right hand on their heart during the pledge. My job is finished.

You may all have the summer off starting next Wednesday to celebrate.

And I am not sad to lose you even one little bit.

You know why? Lean in and I'll tell you the most wonderful of secrets: I'm "looping" with my class up to second grade next year! My first graders will become my second graders in bigger bodies and smarter brains.

Four more days of school brings me four days closer to next year with this same wonderful bunch. To quote my six-year old best friends, "I am a lucky duck."