1st week

Well, I came home from school on Friday having had the best Back To School Week ever!  It was just very rewarding - seeing how great the kids are doing.  We already had some challenges, but seeing the kids take them on with such maturity and growth put me in the best mood.  It's going to be a great year!

Christmas in June and the last day of school

The theme I've chosen for June is "Charity", which I will post about later.  Right now, however,  my mind is all about the last day of school. The word Charity might have something to do with this school year, but I keep thinking more about the word service, and how the saying that you love the ones you serve has certainly come true for me.

I can't go into a lot of detail about my job this year.  I think I mentioned that I went from being with little, mostly non-verbal, special needs children to teenage, very verbal special needs children.  I can't help but reflect on what a great team of people I have been a part of in helping these kids.

 I am thinking a lot of how the kids' behavior and outlook on life has improved over the year.  I am thinking on how we all get so excited when the kids have a good day or do something wonderful or start to feel more a part of the rest of the school.  I am thinking about how my job description sounds unconventional but the little details are so important - like having a rousing game of UNO or  going to science to watch the kids disect a frog, or playing 4 square or wall ball at my age, or talking about favorite music and movies (again, at my age, Luke keeping me relevant in this department has been so important).

And cookies.  Making cookies for the class has become one of my identities - what they might remember the most about me.  Each one of us adults got an end-of-the-year card signed by the kids.  One wrote on mine "thanks for all the food and the positivity".  The "positivity" comment made me quite teary-eyed.  So for this last day of school I made cookie mixes for anyone who wants one so they can make a batch at home this summer.

I had time to decorate the bags during school yesterday and one of the kids asked what I was doing.  I told him I was making a surprise.  He went on to try to guess what it was.  It was such a simple but fun exchange.  At the beginning of the year I never imagined that things would end on such a happy and sweet note.