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As I sit at my desk very early in the morning, feeling the chilly air and looking out at darkness, I find myself slowly saying goodbye to summer. It is always a bittersweet time for us teachers as we bid farewell to the lazy days of summer....coffee mug still in hand at 10:00 am, reading in bed, gardening when the urge comes, canning local produce, and best of all, enjoying the company of our own children, who are also without schedule. Yes, unabashedly, we LOVE summer.

But we also LOVE the school year. In the past two weeks, I have found myself starting to feel that excited bubble inside- the creative, full of ideas, images and questions kind of bubble. The bubble that keeps growing throughout the year as your children help it to become bigger and bigger. But, unlike other bubbles, it never pops; it changes shapes and may get smaller at times, but it is always there.

As each year is unique, I ask myself what this year will bring. What amazing journeys will our class, our school, our community centre and our community as a whole share? How will each child grow as an individual and as a team member? How will I grow as a teacher and a community member? Many questions but certainly no answers right now.

Thank you for sharing your children with us. We are eager to make friends with them, to spark their curiosity, to engage them in meaningful learning, to watch them smile and laugh,  and to relish in their growth.


Emily

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