Back to School

For those of us in the education world, the year is divided into definite seasons, the year beginning now with Back to School and all that brings. I feel it as August arrives, accompanied with a sadness that the summer days now are all too fleeting. I have an urgency to accomplish more, and no matter what I do, it never seems enough. I start drifting into school more, perusing my teaching space and discovering where our janitors "re" positioned tables, desks, bookcases, etc. The emails begin, my back-to-school packet arrives with letters from our superintendent and the opening days schedules. I have breakfast planning meetings or like this year several presentations to make to in-service groups of para-professionals or guest teachers. The high school band practices, and the stores fill with all kinds of Back-to-School paraphernalia, clothes, and bargains. Truthfully, I have always liked this aspect of teaching: the entity of the school year--its definite beginning, middle, and end.

This week in addition to working in my own classroom, I visited my son's classroom and the classroom of my friend Chrissy who is moving to another school. Chrissy and I have been teaching together for four years, and in that four years, we have eaten lunch together almost every day. I know I shall miss the ease of her presence in my classroom, and I know I shall miss hearing the stories of her family as I eat my packed lunch without her. I found a great pattern from Favorite Things pattern designs--The Lunch Bag. And as I checked out Chrissy's new room, I delivered a lunch bag to her that I made. So, even though I won't be with her in body, I will be with her in spirit.