August Has Arrived

It's hitting me. The loss of my class from last year. I am sad. I started this week with some new kindergarten kiddos and as expected found myself missing my former students. I saw one of them dropping off a sibling; it stung a little more to get a hug from her. I don't officially start back until September 2nd but we have a week long camp for incoming students to acclimate to the building and staff. It is a great opportunity for all of us to ease back in and get to know the kids and their parents. I sat yesterday with two on my lap sobbing after I pealed them off their parents. I had some aggression come out in some today that was a little unexpected. Then there are the rambunctious behaviors that are fun but also need to be kept in check. We had a fun two days. Three to go and then I can go back to a little summer before it all really happens.

Finale

As I write this I am standing in my classroom. I walked out right after school on our last day, June 18th. I had to get to a conference in Indiana and my classroom would have to wait.  When I returned I was pleasantly surprised with my daily progress while packing up. I came across a few pictures, reminders and little notes students had written me this year. I held back a few tears. I finally feel done with the year. I finally feel good about what I gave these kids over the past two years. It was tough to say goodbye, but I know they are ready for next year. I'm sorry to see them all split into different classrooms; they were such a little family. I look forward to a new crop in the fall. A crew of kindergartners itching to be writers, readers, scientists, mathematicians and historians. I look forward to being that first teacher to some who haven't been to preschool. But most of all, I look forward to teaching my new students how to be kind, gracious and caring to one another. I love being a part of growing kids who love learning but also who love each other.

Readers

At dismissal today we all sat in a line waiting for the buses to pull up. I looked at the row of students. Over half of them were reading while they waited. It gave me a bit of joy at the end of a long day to see them reading. A time when they don't really have to read. They just wanted to.

Yesterday, one of my students said to me, "Mrs. Hubbard, feel my backpack!" I get this a lot being a first grade teacher. Kids are always wanting me to feel how heavy or light their bags are. I lifted her bag and almost dropped it to the floor.
"Kaylee, what on earth do you have in here, rocks?"
"NOoo! Look inside!" she said with a grin the size of her head!

I opened her backpack, mind you a little afraid. It was really heavy. Inside were at least a dozen books. She started laughing like she couldn't get the giggles out fast enough.
"I told you it wasn't rocks!"

These Kids

Through scrapes and bruises
I hugged you through
I wiped away tears
You nestled into
my arms full of hope
for your future
I blink
It's brighter and bigger
than you'll ever think
I'll watch you continue
side by side
hand in hand
as you make me proud
that you took a stand
and stayed by each other
like brothers and sisters
a family forever
it's you
I'll remember.

I have been feeling a bit melancholy this week. I am realizing I have little time left with my kiddos and it makes me a bit sad. I've done everything I can do. More than anything else I hope they are better people that will stick by each other forever. I've had them for two years, all of them, with a few new ones here and there. We've grown so close and I will always know how they are doing since they are in the same class of students as my daughter. I will be able to watch them all grow and change. I tell them this. I will be watching. I will be checking to make sure they keep their promise to stand by each other for the rest of their life, (a bit dramatic, but they're six so a bit of drama is necessary).

Busy But Grateful

A quick and late slice...

Yesterday I went out to my school playground to find this:

I was overwhelmed and speechless. One of my good friends at school, Kris Shrontz, a fellow slicer, and her husband designed and built this incredible chalk house. You can imagine how excited I was if you know anything about me and chalk. Let's just say when I took my two kids out there this morning to get this picture I was beyond happy.

Nine

Tomorrow he will be nine. Not a baby anymore. He is my oldest in fact but I can't help thinking about him as a baby today. All those milestones. All his silliness. All the little quirks that make him unique. He still makes little funny faces just like he did as a baby with his face scrunched up or an "ew" expression just whenever he feels like it.
Tomorrow he will be nine. He is halfway to 18. A cycle of nine years will repeat again but be a totally different cycle. He will have more science projects under his belt. He will have finished the Secret of Droons series he is currently reading. He will have a larger stack of notebooks and drawings. He will have lost all his baby teeth and stop believing in the tooth fairy.
Tomorrow he will be nine. But in 18 years he will be 27, completely on his own. Maybe even have a family. I might get to hold another baby who scrunches his face and acts silly. But for now I will cuddle my nine year old and hold onto this moment as long as I can.

Old Notebooks

I don't think it is news, but I love notebooks. I have several. Some have been well loved and some are just not my favorite so they don't get used as often. I'm not really sure what makes a notebook worthy of my love but I think it has something to do with what ends up inside. Not so much what it looks like. Some of my most beautiful notebooks are only half full. So, a few weeks ago one of my notebooks only had ten pages left. I knew the end was near.

I have been holding off on filling them. It's like I am stalling the inevitable. Now today, my favorite teacher notebook for school has only ten pages left. I sort of let out a gasp. "Not you too!" 

These are my two favorite notebooks. One for school and one for everything else. I've been dappling in some of my other notebooks but they just feel wrong.