It was a bittersweet day.  We had a lot of fun reminiscing about our year and savoring our last moments as the 2009-2010 Whales Community. We started the morning by releasing our Monarch butterflies, which emerged from their chrysalides last week.  We took last photos with our teachers and spent time enjoying our outdoor learning space with friends.  We got our classroom ready for next year’s Whales by cleaning out our cubbies and putting away our centers.  In the afternoon we gathered as a whole school community to watch a slideshow that Ms. Shelley put together of our year.  The slideshow contained photos from all the classes and was set to songs that we sang in our music making sessions this year. We ended the year by writing a letter to next year’s class.  We figured they might be nervous about kindergarten, just like we were at the beginning of the year. Here is our letter:

Dear New Whales,
Don’t worry- kinder is fun. At the end of the year you will get memory books.  Don’t worry- there’s lots of toys to play with.  You will make new friends. Your teachers are nice.
Love,
The Old Whales

Dear Whales,
Thank you for all the wonderful memories.  Each and every one of you made our community a happier, better place to be.  This year you made me laugh every single day and your smiles brightened my life.  You also gave so much love to my new baby.  You sang her songs and gave her tummy rubs; always hoping for a kick.  I hope that you come back next year and visit me and my new baby. I will miss you very, very much. Have a fabulous summer!
Love,
Ms. Aja

View more photos in our New Photos Gallery