We have 30 days left together. You don't realize this yet - You are just eight years old and the only thing you count down to is Christmas. You are living for Soccer at recess, Spelling games, and Art on Fridays. You live for computer class free time and the moment you can multiply 6x7. That's one one of my favorite things about you- you are too busy filling up today to worry about tomorrow.
And you have filled up my year beyond my greatest expectations. We acted out the Solar System, made up Math games, we wrote pirate stories. We held dance offs and learned to square dance in the gym. We built secret forts to read in. When we were all hit with the flu we curled up in balls on the floor with stuffed animals and watched Bill Nye the science guy. We pretended to be explorers as we navigated maps. We were Architects as we built bridges out of popsicle sticks and play dough. We laughed as we read Superfudge. We sang along to Julie Andrews. We talked about love and we bit our pencils as we created our own masterpieces. When we read The Giving Tree that Doctor Brian suggested to me, we didn't laugh when others cried.
We had a burping contest when we learned why the body burps.
There have been endless show and tells and knock-knock jokes and band aids applied gingerly. Hugs and high fives have been countless. When Elizabeth joined the Polo team we all cheered. When Jacob broke his arm we all signed his cast with hearts and smiley faces. When Evan puked we all ran to get towels and bleach. Even Evan cracked a smile.
When we found out that lice had entered the school we all scratched our heads.
Maybe that's just what happens when you get older, you look past today and look toward the future. I can see the last day already with flip flops and Popsicle stained lips and saggy backpacks and sweaty high fives. Each of you will exclaim as you uncover lost treasures as you pack up your desks - cans of play dough, a lost marker, a post card from Drew when he went to Disney World in October. I can already see your smiles as you run back to give me one last hug as you happily skip to your bus without looking back. And I will be forced to let you go for the summer, to tradition, to a new teacher in the fall.
So tomorrow will be 29 days left with you. And I will think of that number when we discuss Shel Silverstein, learn division, and understand why we use quotation marks. I will smile and as you hand me the picture you drew of a girl and her teacher with smiley happy faces and bright lips. I will be thankful and laugh as the lunch bell rings and I'll put on a song that I downloaded just because I knew you all would love it. And I never realized just how much I would end up loving you.
Some people go through their lives hating there jobs. Thank you for making me love mine everyday. Stay young as long as possible. Continue to sing your heart out to Julie Andrews. Stay just as you are as long as you can be. And when it's time I can't wait for you to grow up. You're all going to be something spectacular.
Love,
Miss Warner
