It's Almost a Wrap

Many of you know that my school has been working an extra 65 minutes a day this year so we could clear out early for the demolition/remodel. Now we are conducting all the activities that happen at year end at the same time as we are conducting all the activities that happen in April. A couple of us were chatting today in the counseling office how great it might be to have a job that was only 50 hours a week (and no homework beyond that would be awesome, as well!). Obviously we are tired and so are the kids. 12-14 hour days for the adults are taking their toll.

So I found myself choking up a bit when I read this lovely email from our school secretary, with whom I am always trading word-nerd websites and blogs. (Check out my del.icio.us links about words.) Her name is Elaine Taravella and she is the best mom, secretary, nurse, comic, poet, disciplinarian, and person you could have in a front office. This quote tells a lot about our year, and I don't know if it will mean anything to the rest of the world, but I enjoyed it:

It’s a Wrap!!

We’re nearing the day when we enter that last grade, pack that last box, wish our students fond (well, mostly fond) farewells and get down to the serious business of summer.

Though condensed and sometimes frenetic, we’ve had a good year—we became a high-achieving school, made AYP, and made a home for many students who’d found themselves without a school.

(Our neighboring school closed because of poor achievement--meaning we inherited over 100 students, 30 of whom are ELL, most of whom are at-risk, and our principal left us mid-year to re-open that building as a charter school.)

We’ve been singled out for recognition by the community we serve and held up as a model by the District of which we’re a part. We’ve pretty much rocked.

As we approach the end of 2007-08, we need to make some time to pat each other—and ourselves—on the back, to take pride in things accomplished and plan a bit for things to come.

And she goes on to enumerate several staff and PTA fetes to come next week. Only 7 more teaching days, 1 weekend, and 2 more teacher work days in which to clean out our rooms and hit the road until early August. If I live through the next two weeks, life will be oh-so-sweet.