The Last, Last Day!*

*But NOT the last, last blog post!!!

5:00 a.m.  The last day of kindergarten and the last day of my teaching career.
This is when I've started my work day for many years.  So, why should this last, last day be any different, right?  Sigh.  I'm sitting at the kitchen table tracing 24 autograph dogs and their colorful ears for my kindergarteners to cut and assemble this last day of school.

7:30 a.m. Cathy Butterfly emerges from her chrysalis.
Readers of this blog may remember that we count the number of days in kindergarten each day and record the numbers on a long number line.  I have always called this growing number line, "Cathy Caterpillar."  When there are just 14 days of school left, the number line goes into a black garbage bag which is hung from the ceiling as if it were a chrysalis.  On the last day of school, the chrysalis comes down and the biggest butterfly ever goes up! So, for the last time on the last day of school, I climbed up on the univent to hang Cathy Butterfly.

8:30 a.m.  I receive a pretty wrist corsage from our superintendent.

8:45 a.m.  I gather my students together for the last, last time.

9:30 a.m.  I participate in my last, last assembly.

10:00 a.m.  My teaching assistant from 40 years ago shows up to spend some time in my classroom on my last day of teaching!

Sally was with me on my first day of teaching in 1977 and how great is it that she wanted to spend part of my last day of teaching with me?!

10:30 a.m.  My last class of kindergarteners loves making the autograph dogs just as much as my first class did!

This is a definitely worthwhile last day of school activity!  After cutting and assembling the dogs, the children walk around and politely ask each other, "May I have your autograph, please?!"

11:00 a.m.  I conduct a short awards ceremony for my students.

Earlier in the week, each child had drawn a picture of what they believe they are "as good as gold" at doing in school.  At the ceremony, Sally calls them up and they show their picture to the class. I agree with their self-assessment and sometimes add another compliment.  For example, if a student says, "I'm as good as gold at art." I add, "I agree.  I also have noticed that you are becoming a really interesting writer!"  Then I hang a gold medal on a ribbon (purchased in bulk from Oriental Trading Company) around the child's neck and we all chant, "Congratulations, first grader."  It takes about a minute per child to do this ceremony.

11:25 a.m.  We all enjoy a bite of a giant chocolate chip cookie!

11:35 a.m.  I share the love one last, last time.

Many years ago, I found this idea somewhere and it has never failed to delight all of us.  I tell the children that I have one more special friend whom I really, really love and can't wait any longer for them to know this friend.  But, I tell them, they have to meet this friend one person at a time.  And after they meet this friend, they have to go back and sit down really quietly and not tell anyone else who they see in the box.  They must not spoil the secret!  Of course, I call on the most trustworthy students first.  If you can't tell from the picture, there is a mirror in the box and they see themselves.

12:00  We gather for a class photo beneath Cathy Butterfly.

2:00  Retirees are honored at a district recognition ceremony.

Each of the retirees was interviewed by a former student and a videotape was made of the interview.  I am hoping to receive a link to my video tape and will add it to the post later.  Check back--it was really cute!

3:00  Cruising around in my friend's jeep!

My colleague, friend, parent of three of my former students fulfills her promise to take me for a ride in her jeep!  The top is down, the air is warm, the wind is blowing, the music is blaring and it is cool, cool, cool!!!

3:30  I am treated to an early, delicious dinner at a lovely restaurant with a former colleague and her husband.

My friends met 15 years ago at our oldest son's high school graduation party.  Rosie was my colleague and Rick was my husband's colleague and our son's high school English teacher!

What an amazing last, last day of teaching!  But, stay in touch, because my next post is on what actually happened at my BIG Retirement Party and Kindergarten Reunion!