Miss Hirst's Wild Things: The Beginning of the End (of the year)

This time of year has been especially emotional for me. The kids have gotten to the point where they know the routines, they are independent, and they are a family. They are MY little family at school. All of us get frustrated or fed up with each other, but after a hug or apology, the love bubbles over for our family. I love seeing how their relationships have grown...how comfortable they have become with one another. When one of them is upset, they work together to get through it.

The best example of this is one of our little ones got very worked up and upset. One of our little ones when over next to him, and just started quietly rubbing his back to sooth him on the carpet. It made my heart burst. This time of year is so focused on testing, scores, progress, growth, assessments... But the ABSOLUTE MOST important thing they learned this year is how to love. They learned to love school. They learned to love reading. They learned to love science and math. They learned to love learning. They learned to love curiosity, questions, exploring. They learned to love the Earth and appreciate nature. Most importantly, they learned to love people. They are so aware of each other and how everyone is feeling or dealing with something, it makes me want to cry.

I have been so blessed to have this group this year. I can't imagine that I will ever feel such a bond with another group of kindergarteners. They are so special; our year has been a rollercoaster, and we got through every aspect of it together as a kindergarten family.

Our musical stars!