Five for Friday... School is DONE!

I feel like the end of the year carried me away into Never-Never Land, and I am just now crawling back home...

Actually, I am not even at home. I am in Washington visiting my nieces. But what counts most, at this moment in time, is that I am not at school! WooHoo!

I know, I know, things are always so much rosier in retrospect... but I am really going to miss this group of kiddos. I think that is one of the reasons I like sixth grade so much: You have the opportunity to watch kids grow into... real people!

So, with Promotion taking up the majority of my week (and my waking hours!), here is my Five for Friday...

This was a week filled with excitement... for a variety of reasons!

Yep! That's a real headline! And the school referenced was my school! In the middle of promotion practice on Monday (with fifty-two kids!) my principal whispered in my ear that there would be a lock-down. Not that she needed to tell me. After thirty years, I am a good observer. I had seen the firetrucks pull up, I had seen the men in khaki overalls, I had seen the custodianl conversing with police officers. Teachers SEE those things--even though not a single child ever suspected a thing. I was SO proud of my colleagues.

Two unsophisticted "devices" were discovered on our playground. One had been detonated, one had not. Within a short time, there were numerous emergency personnel all over our school. Yet, my friends walked calmly to their classroom, sat on the carpet and joined me in a read-aloud... as if they had dealt with explosive devices on campus a thousand times!

There would be more "materials" found the next day, and two more devices found on Wednesday. Later, a local teenager was  determined to be the culprit. {Insert big sigh of relief!}

Did I mention the MAYOR came to our promotion celebration this year?! Along with the bomb-sniffing dogs and a array of emergency personnel as well! Because we have students who are deaf on our site, we always sign all of the song and have the rest of the ceremony interpreted in sign language. The signing this year was BEAUTIFUL. I cried through most of it! The kids delivered their speeches with finesse and plenty of personality. They presented their wishes, hopes and dreams and spoke of their commitment to taking what they learned at our little school into their future. I think even the mayor was impressed! Our theme was "Follow your Dreams" and I have NO doubt that they will!

This was the year of FLOWERS!  There were so many pretty blossoms I was able to put a little bouquet in each room in my house... of course, I live in a really small house, so there were some in the kitchen, the living room and the bedroom, but it was all pretty!

My kids know me so well! My favorite candy is Kit Kat bars. I have always loved Kit Kats because they are so orderly! A perfect candy for an OCD personality... I am just so enchanted with the way they break on the lines. And, if you ever need to teach fourths... Your materials are conveniently available in red wrapper! I was honored to receive so many of these!

 

And what celebration would be complete without Starbucks? I love these Starbucks cards! I gave them to the people at school who helped me orchestrate promotion. I also mailed them to the graduating seniors who sent me a graduation announcement. And I kept one... just because I thought it was so cute!

So that was my week!  We are "locked out" of school because of some contractual agreement regarding furlough days. I don't really understand it all, but I followed directions and took a few days "away." When I return, I have to clean my classroom. And my living room. And my garage...

Or maybe I will just take my cute Class of 2013 Starbucks card, find one of their comfy chairs and enjoy saying the word "vacation" over and over...

Sending you summertime thoughts!

PS Those sweet little graduation hats are from Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs--available HERE at TpT. And the emergency vehicles are from Charlotte's Clips--available HERE at TpT.