Good Goodbyes?

It's getting to that point of the year when I really start actually thinking about the end of the year.

No, I'm (surprisingly) not referring to summer vacation. (Although, thoughts of that will soon follow.)

I'm talking about saying goodbye to students...and not just for summer. A few of my students are moving out of town, and the 8th graders are moving on to high school.

In looking back over the time I've known each of the students who will be leaving our school, I started to cry - yes, they've been challenging, but the good times and moments of growth have far outnumbered the rest.

I understand that the goodbyes are so hard because it means we had something great in the first place, but that doesn't soften the blow, no matter what Pooh says:

So, it's apparently time to grab that box of tissues. It's time to remember the positive times. It's time to celebrate the journey of our school year...

Because summer's on the horizon...