The final day was wonderfully choreographed. I give my colleagues and the parents credit for this good learning/teaching design for a final day of school.
First we visit the high school where students have the chance to engage in all kinds of wonderful outdoor and indoor games. Students played soccer, tennis, basketball, drip-drip-drop, a version of capture the flag, and ran the track. They also spent some time exploring nature and playing chess. I had an awesome game of chess with one of the best opponents I've ever faced. I learned a lot and had fun even though I didn't win the game.
Later parents served delicious pizza and water. After that we hiked back to school and I handed out progress reports with a few kind words for each child. Then children shared summer plans.
At 12:30 we met with the parents in the gym for a terrific farewell slideshow produced by the parents. Students joyfully sang along to the popular songs as they watched images of themselves from their earliest days through fifth grade. Finally we gathered back in the homerooms and then students marched through the school as the whole school paid tribute to them by lining the halls and clapping them out. Parents lined up at the back of the school and continued the tradition with proud clapping and words of celebration and cheer.
It was the perfect way to end fifth grade and send our young students onto the Middle School.
