How to Say Goodbye

Saying goodbye has never been easy for me. I'd rather just slink out the back door and leave things the way they are. I have learned that this is not the best way to leave. Sometimes people get mad at you when you don't take the time to formally say "goodbye." When my kids leave the house I expect them to say goodbye. When my students leave for they day they must leave with a hug, handshake or high-five...Their choice. Saying goodbye to a troubling student might be easy, but what about a student who has endeared herself to each person in your classroom? How do you say goodbye to a student who has become a finder, an assistant, and a friend? How do you say goodbye to a student who gets up and helps others without making a big production out of it? How do you say goodbye to a student who knows when your looking for something and brings it to you before you even ask..."Has anyone seen the...." All I can say is there is a 2nd grade class somewhere in Michigan who is getting a terrific addition to their classroom and leaving a big hole in ours!

Even the boys loved our friend and three of them left class crying this week after we took time to talk about how to say goodbye and how it is okay to cry when we say it. We knew for weeks that our friend's dad had taken a job across state. We tried not to think about it. Every once and awhile our friend would giggle or make this cute little sound she makes when she drops something or makes a mistake. I started saying, "I'm going to miss that sound!" Soon my owlets picked up on it and said it too. We wanted to let her know that she would be missed and that she had become a vital part in our classroom. So what to do to make the final days really special...
Make a Blanket
Have a Tea - Party
Sign a Bible (or other book!)
Help Children say goodbye in a way that helps them feel comfortable.
I've been really bad at taking pictures lately, so I don't have very many, but here are a few of our last week...

All of the girls came to my house for a tea party!

I put out my mom's Wedgwood for them. We didn't use this very often growing up!

We actually had hot chocolate instead of tea!

Now it is time for me to say goodbye. Goodbye for a month, friends. I'll be by to visit your blogs, but I'm taking a break to spend more time with my family and last year I failed big time in the cookie department. I always feel sad when I visit a favorite blog and they haven't posted in weeks. I wonder what happened to them. Don't worry about me...I'm setting priorities for myself during this busy time!