Last day in the lunchroom

Today was my last full day working at our elementary school and it was a fabulous/difficult day.

I have had the opportunity to spend the last six months working with this incredible crew of ladies and I am very grateful for the chance I've had to get to know them.  They are wonderful women who care deeply about the children in the school.  

As a team, we have worked in classrooms and also with individual students on reading interventions and the work we have done (lead by Jan Hurley, who is superb) has really made a difference.  

I don't mean to brag (well, maybe I do a little bit) but these interventions have pushed dozens of students from needing assistance up to achieving benchmark for their grade.  That is no small thing, and we honestly work hard at it.

But it is incredibly rewarding work, and I will really miss those kids.  

Because not only did I work with a full class of second graders and a handful of reading students (9 total of which 7 reached benchmark), but I also worked as the lunchroom aide (that's right, I was officially a lunch lady) so I spent every afternoon with the whole student body as they came through to eat. 

And I really loved it.

I accidentally fell in love with 650 little people age 5-12 (as well as the wonderful kitchen staff who are thoughtful and hard working and who really work to benefit the children).

And although I am very excited about my new employment opportunity with CoughDrop, it is really hard to leave these kids.  They are fabulous.  They are kind and entertaining and obedient (mostly) and supportive and I just can't say enough good about them.  

And so, because today was my last day in the lunch room and the kids knew that, I got pelted with hug after hug (some more gooey than others) and there may have been some tears shed (mostly by me).  

I know these sweethearts will have dozens of lunchroom aids through their years of schooling, but I'm not sure they will ever have another one who loves them as much as I do.

I was very lucky to have been blessed with a job that I loved doing every day with a school full of students who made every day unique and memorable (my husband will absolutely miss the wild/funny/gross tales from the lunchroom).

I hope they all grow up to be successful and that they remember that they matter and that they can do anything if they put their mind to it.  But mostly I hope they remember that they are loved, because they really really are.