Summer has (finally) arrived!

It's the first day of summer break after the longest school year in history.  Seriously.  In my 20 years of teaching and 17 years of being a student, I never recall going to school in June until this year.  But it's over, grades are submitted, my room is packed up, and Year 20 is done.

For some reason, I get really sad about saying goodbye to my room over the summer.  I mean, we are pretty lucky that we can leave stuff hanging up and in our cabinets, but it's like the building knows it is empty and lifeless, that laughter will not be heard in the hallways, and a sterile feeling that takes over the classrooms.

All in all, it was a year of ups and downs.  In a big school, you expect some of that, but we had a year with a lot of loss from accidents, the retirement of our beloved football coach, and a 2-week walkout.  No matter what happened though, our community rallied around us and together, we strove onward.

This summer will be a time of rest and rejuvenation, a time to spend with loved ones, a time to reflect and grow, and next year we will be stronger.