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My students and I have been going to Science class at the Academy of Natural Sciences on the Parkway, studying paleontology and preparing for a day-long fossil dig in Delaware. Today was the day, we packed ourselves on a school bus, and headed for the First State. I was armed with sunscreen, packed lunches, and a first aid kit. The trip went off without a hitch and I think I found some cool fossils! I'll admit that I was sort of tired from being in the sun, and was ready when we headed back to school. Field trips were definitely better as a child. They are sometimes a logistical nightmare to the teachers who organize them, but in the end, they are totally worth it if the kids get a lot out of them. I think my students had a great time.



Tonight is the eve of my last day of school. I got to write tomorrow's schedule on the board - one last time - and it's a doozy! We are having a Goodbye Circle at 9:15, where we will eat donuts and each kid will get to say goodbye to me. I hope I don't tear up! At 10:30, James is coming to school, so that the 2nd graders can present their "Country Study" to us. The kids have been working in pairs to study a country of their choosing. They are trying to convince us which country we should go to for our honeymoon. It's been a really fun process! A lot of kids were coming up to me throughout the process of working on it, asking me if I liked the beach, if I wanted to go hiking, etc. I hope they're not expecting James and I to pick one right away! We certainly wouldn't do that anyway, in case it made some kids feel like it was a contest that required a winner.

It's hard to believe that it's all coming to a close so quickly. It feels like slamming on the brakes while driving. After tomorrow, it's one week of wrap-up classes and events, then GRADUATION!!!

Pretty much sums it up.