Last Day of School

     As kids, the first day of school is equally as exciting as one other day.  That day is the last day of school.  Sitting in classroom as a child it seemed as if May kept adding hidden days to its calendar.  It never seemed to end.  Then June arrives and in no time we are giving our teachers a final hug as we dash out the classroom doors, down the halls enter on the bus to take us home for another exciting summer adventure. 

     The last week of school seemed like fluff.  There really isn't homework and we get extra recesses in to pass the time.  In elementary I remember going through all the text books we had in our desks and look through the pages for any pencil marks we might of made during the year.  As I got older I would intentionally leave notes hidden on the pages of the text.  On one page I would have turn to page 34.  Then turn to page 88.  I would end it with a "Hi" or something silly. With buckets of warm soapy water we wiped down the front and back cover of our books and piled them neatly on a shelf for next years students.  We would pull lost papers out of our desks and reveal them to other students nearby.  Other students would also share their lost treasure of papers hidden in the depths of the desk.  Then we would take the wash rag again and rinse out the desks. 

     Next we would pile out to our lockers with huge garbage bins lining the hallways.  Some lockers were neat as a pin and others were thankful for the garbage bins.  It seemed as if there were always lockers that had a lost juice box stuck to the bottom or a lost hat left over from winter.  Classroom posterboard projects were usually curled up and pushed towards the back.  The teachers would had out extra bags for those who wanted to take their items home to share.  Then another use for the wash rag and the lockers had to be cleaned from top to bottom.  It wasn't so bad.  It seemed more like playtime than work. 

     Teachers would usually toss in extra goodies into our bags on the last day.  Sometimes a textbooks when the school is getting newer textbooks, summer packets to work on, or pictures that were taken throughout the year. 

     The bus dropped us off one last time at our house.  We would run inside anxious to take off our school uniform and put on summer clothes.  Mom would always be inside awaiting our arrival and wanting to hear about our last day.  My sister, brother and I would each have our highlighted time with our mom sitting on the couch as we go through all the papers and books and other treasures we brought home.  The other two sibilings would sit on the floor patiently waiting their turn and also engaging into the conversation.  It usually ended by a competition of whose work was the hardest.  I usually lost because I am the baby of the family and everyone could do my work.  I value those moments that I had with my family then. 

     With my children waiting for their last few days of school I can only imagine what they are doing around the classroom, excited children can't wait for summer break and feeling older as they go on to the next grade.  As a parent the roles have changed.  I still get anxious waiting for the bus to get home and 5 little ones come running up the driveway waving their backpacks eager to show me their stuff.  And I sit there on the couch for our special time and have them show me all of their papers and happily hear all their stories.