(minus one attendance student for next week.  easy)

i woke up unfit to go to work.

i got to work at 11 and went straight to class.  they were in the middle of literacy.  this is one of the first times i’ve interrupted class all year.  when i walked in, there were many “ms. sarah!” “ms. sarah!” and some hugs.  i was so shocked and touched.  i can’t believe i have to say goodbye to these kids next week.

one of my boys asked me why i hadn’t been in there earlier and i told him i woke up feeling pretty sick.  about two minutes later he asked me if i had a cold (which i do) and i said yes, and he told me i shouldn’t have come to school at all that day. hahah too cute.

then later another one of my boys invited me to his birthday party on saturday.  he said, “ill say hey everyone, this is ms. sarah.  and they’ll all say, oh hi ms. sarah”  ugh too cute.

and i found out before my starfish got transferred he was getting a B in math.  he had been failing all year.

and my teacher wants me to come back the last week to help out with their picnic and the trips. :)

“Are there a lot of Africans there?”

“Is it tropical?”

“Do they speak English there?”

as the year wraps up, i cant believe its ending soon.  you spend so long cultivating relationships only for them to end.  we spent a lot of time yesterday, our last “semi-normal friday” (IJ, roles, community meeting), reflecting.

anyone who knows me most likely knows that i am the worst with ends.  im a crier and very sentimental.  so when we were reflecting yesterday i was getting pretty choked up.  even though i am lucky enough to be doing city year again next year, there is a high likelihood i will never see most of my kids again.  they’ll move, be transferred, etc.  this has especially been on my mind after this week.

one of my students, my starfish (the student we really connect with and work with a lot), was transferred to a disciplinary school on tuesday.  about a month ago, he brought firecrackers to school and set them off, therefore getting him taken away by the police, suspended for 5 days, and starting the disciplinary transfer process (getting 21ed in district terms).  it wasn’t until he was suspended for 5 days that i realized what a big piece of my year/life he had become.  he was the student who always (most of the time) wanted me around, asked for help, needed it, and encouraged others to treat me well.  when other students would be rude to me, he would say, “you don’t talk to her like that!”.  he just melted my heart.  he had tough circumstances; large family, family issues, commuting all the way from west philly, but i really think that just having someone there was helpful to him.  when he came back from his suspension, i saw him and his mom, and she said to me, “he said you’re the best.”  there’s nothing like realizing what you do goes home.

so my little starfish (seriously, physically little) was transferred to a disciplinary school.  im so worried he’s going to get beat up.  thankfully we had a good (unknowingly) last day together.  i was eating lunch in the office and i heard my name faintly, turned around and saw his little body outside, then he ran off, and i found him in our social worker’s office where we played games for the rest of lunch.  at least he knew what i would like all my students to know…that i care about them deeply and just want to be there for them and encourage them. 

so in these last three weeks we’re in school, i want to impart as much wisdom as i can on them.  i want them to learn tools to be able to use next year when im not there.  i want them to know how special they are and how great they can be.  honestly, if i could give them the world, i would.