A Note of Farewell to My Kids

Dear Malcolm,

My impression of you is that you are a real gentleman!  You showed that so many times in so many ways during our group sessions, but one I remember is:

You and Micki were in the group alone. She was having some trouble figuring out where the author’s name was on the book cover.   You leaned over and said “Oh, here. I’ll show you.”  So nice!

By the way – you’re a great reader, too.  Keep it up!

Thank you for making Read-To-Succeed fun.

Ms. Kay

Dear Langston,

I have enjoyed having you in my Read To Succeed group this year! 

Remember the fun we had with compound words?  You picked out every one – including some I hadn’t seen!   You are the Compound Word King!

And have fun and learn a lot in Fourth Grade!

Ms. Kay

Dear Ada,

I love how your mind moves SO FAST!  You can go from one subject to the other with the greatest of ease.   You are intuitive. There’s a vocabulary word for you! It makes you special.

I’ve enjoyed working with you in my Read-To-Succeed group this year.

Have fun and learn a lot in Fourth Grade.

Ms. Kay

 Dear Micki,

I loved having you in my Read-to-Succeed group.

You started out shy and quiet. Now you are one lively girl! 

You are very good at persisting – that means you keep working to get your reading right.   When you don’t know a word you giggle and try again.  That’s a great quality for a good reader!

Have fun and learn a lot in Fourth Grade!

Ms Kay

Dear Amara,

I enjoyed working with you in my Read-to-Succeed group. In addition to reading, you have worked so hard to get your behavior right. 

And you helped others to do that, too! “Come on,” you’d say, “THIS is what we need to do.”

You’re a good reader! 

Have fun and learn a lot in fourth grade

Ms. Kay

Dear Zoe,

You are a big bundle of energy! And I love seeing you using that energy to read and learn.  Remember how much fun you had reading your part in the play?  You loved being on stage and are a good actor!  Have fun and learn a lot in fourth grade.

Ms. Kay

 

Dear Jared,

What fun we’ve had in Read-To-Succeed group!

I love how detailed your written exercises are! When you wrote a mystery, it had LOTS of characters and LOTS of clues.

And you are a good reader.

Have fun and learn a lot in fourth grade.

Ms. Kay

The Last Day of School

I remember how delicious that last day of school was. Endless summer days lurking.  Three Rs all finished. Everyone in a good mood.

This year it was delicious in fact as well as metaphor.

On Wednesday of the last week, Read-to-Succeed Buffalo hosted its volunteers to a literary feast.  E.B. White hummus and crudité, Edgar Allan Poe Boys, Chicken a la Stephen King, Oscar Wilde Salmon, Fannie Flagg Fried Green Tomatoes, Joyce Carol Oates and Raisin Cookies, Maya Angelou Food Cake. And we washed it down with The Grapes of Wrath Sangria, laughing all the while.

These people know how to treat volunteers!

Then came the last day, Friday.

I approached Room 205 with a swirl of emotions.   I'd just tapped into my fondness for each one to  a farewell note,  highlighting their best qualities and their progress. And I’d made a foray to Dollar Tree to buy a silly parting gift for each, a pair of stars and stripes glasses already

 out for Fourth of July. I was eager for one more time together and already wistful that it was ending.
           When I walked through the door, Ms. Ray said “We have something for you!” as a bunch of kids swarmed me offering a folder with Thank You drawings, one from each of the 22 children in the class whether I had worked with them or not.

“I did this one.” “Look at mine.” “Let me find mine.”

It took me a moment to get my heart back into its correct place in my body. What a treasure!

I read some aloud, holding them up so the artist could be acknowledged, and promising to savor every one as soon as I got home. I had a small gift for each child in the room, too.

My kids took pleasure in having a big reveal of their drawings during our group time. M(agnificient) I(mportant) S(uper) S(mart)  K(ool) A(wesome) Y(ou will be missed)  The words varied but the sentiment was the same and the drawings were spectacular.

I delivered my notes, which they read aloud and, mustering all their good group behavior, listened when the others read.  Probably the most excited was Micki because I mentioned her approach when she stumbled on a word – to giggle and try again.  “I just did it!” And she had.

But the biggest fun was the glasses. They donned them immediately, danced around the library and delighted in posing for pictures with their arms draped around each other.

My kids – ending the year in fine style.