Birthday Cheer, Retirement Cheer

Has anyone seen the Birthday Cheer on Pinterest?

Check it out here. 

I typed it four to a page so I could hand out copies for my dad's birthday Monday. ;) If you'd like a copy, click here. 

     Well, one of our teachers is considering retiring this year. She has 28 years and just hasn't quite decided for sure. It hit me the other day when I saw the Birthday Cheer again that we haven't even thought about what to do if she does retire. The way our school handles retirement is to let the retiring teacher's team do something to begin the party like get up and talk about the teacher, do a skit, or something...we get to decide what. I had a revelation! God just gives me these ideas, ya know?

Yep, you already guessed, didn't you? I wrote a Retirement Cheer to begin the party for her...if she decides she's really going to retire. At least I'm trying to be "on it" for the end of the school year. My buddy and I have talked about having everything done early (even if it means a couple of Saturdays working) so that by the end of the last week of school, we'll be done with our chores.

That means I have a list going...it's going to be a busy time for the next seven weeks. Seven weeks! Can you believe that we'll be out of school in seven weeks? The children get out on Wednesday and we have two days postplanning. So, please pray for me that by the end of the day May 25, 2012, I'll be walking out of my classroom for the summer. I do intend to work on lessons and units for CCGPS this summer and be ahead, but I can do that right here at home. :)

     I have many plans for this summer and I'm going to handle them the way I did the summer after we first moved into our house (2000). List everything, prioritize, and get up by 7:00 (or earlier) each morning to complete at least 7 items on my list. I love getting up early in the summer, listening to the Purple Martins chirping and our chickens clucking while drinking a cup of coffee on the back deck (before it gets too hot to enjoy coffee). My habit each morning will be devotional time, followed by exercise! When I finish the seven chores on my list, I'll start the fun stuff...sunbathing for a while, then working on my units and plans for 2012-2013. Ah...the plans I have. :) Spring Break has been a taste of the relaxing days of summer. I can't wait! 

    That doesn't mean I won't enjoy these next 7 weeks, because I will. The last month or so of school is always bittersweet to me. These children have grown so much since the beginning of the year! They are not only taller and heavier, but smarter and even have more personality. Well, most of them. I think my Joshua's personality was already established. He's a hoot! Smart as a whip and just busy!

We'll talk about all we've done this year, finish up projects, hatch baby chicks, grow plants in shoeboxes (check out that idea here), and write all about everything we've done for our Second Grade books. I'm so excited...ready to finish out the 2011-2012 school year with a bang for my children so they'll have fond memories of second grade. It's funny! I've had several groups of students from my second and third graders in previous years come back to ask me if we could have a class reunion. I think that is an excellent idea. I wish they'd invite me to their class reunions after they graduate. :) I'd love to see them all and hear about their lives.

OOPS! Did I let my age show? ;)

†~Melly~†

PS: If you have someone retiring and you'd like to see my attempt at a Retirement Cheer to begin your own, just comment or drop me an e-mail at staplersstrategies@gmail.com and I'll inbox you a copy. I don't want to give away the surprise here. I don't think my buddy follows my blog, but just in case... ;)