Was it really the LAST FRIDAY?!?

Yes, I think it was. And what a crazy day it turned out to be. Well, I guess it wasn't that much out of the norm for any last day of school, but it still felt like a whirlwind.

The morning started out as a mad dash to get some end of the year paperwork completed. Then I had my 7th graders for 2 periods (which was 1 hour total, since it was Early Release). We watched most of "Finding Nemo" and they just socialized and signed yearbooks and wandered from my room to other rooms and back to my room. Later, I had 8th graders and it was supposed to be my normal 3/4 kids, but kids came in and out and it wasn't really mandatory that they stayed in their assigned room, as long as they checked in with their teacher and were with one of their teachers. I had kids popping in and out all day. They said hi to their friends, they came by and said goobye to me and there were a lot of tears from some of the girls as they said farewell to each other, especially Klutz girl (she was known to trip and fall or hurt herself on a daily basis). Man, she didn't stop crying. I understand that finished 8th grade can be emotional and bittersweet, but most of them will see each other over the summer or chat on myspace anyways! And 95% of them will be in the same school next year! I felt bad for Klutz girl to some degree, but it just got out of control, as she sobbed incessantly as the students were getting in their buslines after school. And she continued to cry at the dance last night.

The dance was fun. It was like a mini Prom. Some schools even treat it as such and kids get limos and go all out. None of our kids showed up in anything but their parents' car, but you could tell some of the girls spent all afternoon getting ready. The Commons Area was decorated with a Hollywood Nights theme and the PTSO went all out. The walls were covered with stars and a wall decoration that looked like paparazzi and you kind of forgot you were in the cafeteria and where kids sit to wait for the bus. I dragged my hubby along under the terms that other hubbies would be there. Turns out there really weren't. The assistant principal's husband was there, but he mainly hid out in her office. Some of the kids got quite a kick out of the fact that Mr. Lionhead was there. In fact, at one point, 3 of my boys approached us and one of them asked if that was my hubby. I said yes, and introduced them. And they all shook his hand. That was cute. I was just entertained by the whole thing. I love watching my kids attempt to interact with the opposite sex. And at the end, two of my students hooked up and surprisingly, that made me smile. They are both good kids that deserve each other. She's a silly, skinny girl with a quirky sense of humor and he's a genuis level bookworm that gets along with everyone. I told her that she should be with him, because he doesn't run away when she laughs at everything. It was really endearing.

Then the goodbyes came and it took forever and a day. The lights were coming on gradually, and that didn't seem to deter groups of teary, hugging teenagers. There were kids hugging that didn't even know each other. Oh, for Pete's sake! I mean, it's nice that they were being nice to each other, but come on. No one's dying and you'll all see each other in August!! Ah well, that's middle school, right?

And I've signed a contract to do it all over again next year...