After wrapping up her last day of school, Ellen Berg asked
MiddleWeb readers to tell how they used their time during the
closing moments of year.
Hi all! Today was our last day of school, and I was wondering
(after viewing both chaos and control) what you all do with your
kids on the last day. I had kids helping me with some housekeeping
tasks and errands, while others played games or read. Other rooms,
however, seemed to let kids roam free and wild....
What do you guys do?
- Ellen
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Joanne told of an end of the year activity that captivated
student interest.
Last year I had timed the last week of classes such that we
were viewing the middle portion of Tom Hanks' movie Castaway.
This followed up an end of the year survival group project. The
kids were mesmerized - and QUIET! I purposely only showed the
survival part of the video, though...... not the love story part.
- Joanne
------------------------------
Donna's last moments of school also coincided with the finale
of her teaching career.
We had the same at our school. Those that generally had been
lax through the year pretty much let the kids roam. Those that
generally held their classes together, did so as usual, in housekeeping
tasks, returning books, watching videos and/or playing games.
They were also able to sign yearbooks.
I allowed a group of kids to go out in the field near my classroom
door and throw a nerf football. They were very happy about doing
that, and the roamers tended to come over and throw the ball with
them. I kept an eye on them from my open door.
Some may not agree with this, but there were a few students who
needed to bring up their grades, and suddenly became concerned
about it, so I allowed them to do some make-up work. I had several
that didn't take me up on this option as well. But it made my
year when I had one student who stayed several hours after school
was out, working on some math concepts, say, as her parting comment
to me: "Thank you, Mrs. Thomas. I know that you had your
own things that you could have been doing, but you kept helping
me. I never had a teacher do that for me before." That was
a fitting Grand Finale to my teaching career.
I'll be home schooling my 5 middle/highs-schoolers this coming
school year, in what we'll call The North Star School for Creative
Learners! :)
Have a great summer!
- Donna
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Jean described her last half-day of school.
Our last day of school was a half day. We met in homerooms
for about 20 minutes, and then we had an all school awards ceremony
that lasted for hours, literally. We returned to homerooms for
the last 45 minutes or so, handed out report cards, and sent them
home for summer. During the last 45 minutes, I had mine seated
- they signed yearbooks and talked, and some worked on a jigsaw
puzzle. Some teachers had a video running for the last bit, but
mostly kids sat and chatted or helped teachers.
Jean
----------------------------------------
Annie described the various theme days that she tacked onto
the last days of school.
I'm so jealous of all those who are already out. Here in NJ
(my district anyway) the last day for students is not until June
21st and the teachers all have to come on Monday June 24th for
3 hours (basically it's a waste of time; we all sit around. Each
year the principal says she will do some professional development
and I've tried to do some stuff but most want to just chat and
go home).
For the last week, which is all half days (which I don't understand,
if we had two full days and one half day we'd all get out earlier,
but the district does 5 half days), I do theme days like pajama
day, movie day, etc. The most popular and the one the kids look
forward to all year (I don't know why) is beach day. The kids
wear shorts and t-shirts (no bathing suits!) and we push the desks
against the walls and they lay around on beach towels they brought
in. We listen to CD's and eat chips and soda. Some read, some
just relax. We play the limbo and bat a beach ball around.
- Annie
---------------------------------
Holly concentrated on practical issues.
I have mine come and help clean up the lab area. I am actually
hoping that most do not come tomorrow. This group can be a real
pain.
- Holly
---------------------------------
Naomi posted her thoughts.
In New York City we don't end until the 26th of June....I
am tired.
- Naomi
-------------------------
Manny added to Naomi's posting.
Same here in Toronto Canada, then on the 27th we have a half
day of meetings...can't wait!!
- Manny
----------------------------
Melba described the festive atmosphere that permeated her last
day of school.Haas Middle School's sterling performance on the
Texas assessment test (TAAS) had everyone in a good mood.
Our last day of school was on May 23rd. Since our students
did so well on their state test, we had a first ever Haas TAAS
Fun Day! All students went to their first period class for the
first hour to tie up loose ends such as turning in lost and found
lockers, paying fines, finishing up exams etc. Then from 10 to
12 we turned them loose to roam the campus attending any activities
that they wanted.
We had basketball and volleyball in the gym, soccer, kickball,
sack relays, tennis, bungee run, and a dunking booth outside on
the fields. Inside we had computer games in two rooms, make and
take arts and crafts, chess tournaments, and a movie in the library.
We also had a dance with a DJ in the cafeteria along with face
painting, popcorn, snow cones -- the day was nice and hot for
them, sodas, and free prizes for those students who participated
in any of the outside activities, and PTA sold candy. They were
the only group to sell; the rest was free to the kids.
We let them pick up sack lunches prepared by the cafeteria for
them to eat and picnic until 1:00. The afternoon was spent watching
a movie in their first period classrooms. They were so tired from
playing all morning that some of them even fell asleep. We had
no fights, no shaving cream, no mess, no fuss, and no disturbance
of any kind. The only problems we had were two of our grumpy teachers
whom we had to strongly encourage to go help monitor in the cafeteria.
It was so successful that we are going to make it and our Rally
a yearly event for the students to earn and anticipate.
- Melba
------------------------------
LeeAnn shared her last day experiences.
We have a half day for the last day. We arranged our schedule
to show a 15- minute PowerPoint presentation to the 8th graders
-- pictures from the year arranged to Green Day's "Time of
Your Life." Then they have related arts and then all five
sections for about 18 minutes each. I plan to hand out awards,
collect any last minute books and have them help me pack up with
any extra time as I am moving to a new room next year.
- LeeAnn
----------------------------------
Kathy described the whirlwind environment that is part of the
last day of school.
My last day of school is June 10! The 6th graders graduate
at 5 PM on Thursday, my son has a senior awards banquet at 6 PM
and he graduates on Saturday. My 8th grade daughter graduated
last Saturday
Today was a high school semi final game which they lost but my
son got hit in the eye with a ball, so I just returned from the
emergency room...phew am I tired!!
- Kathy
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill's told about the activities that filled his last few days
of school.
We take forever to wind down. We have half days during our
last week, which this year is June 10-14. On Tuesday, our last
day of finals, advisor groups will have time for special projects;
my group is going to be doing some painting in the Upper School
building. On Wednesday, we have class picnics and then the evening
PTG picnic. Thursday is the last day when classes meet, for just
15 minutes to collect textbooks and hand back final exams.
There is a morning awards ceremony which takes about two hours.
Our last day is Friday, June 14 and comprises only graduation
rehearsal and graduation itself.
Stoneleigh-Burnham's graduation was last Friday, and my son's
school has graduation this weekend. It keeps me hopping.
- Bill Ivey
---------------------------------------
Donald's last day of school had a dramatic bent.
Students' last day is June 13 (I think - I never know for
sure - I just leave when they kick me out). It's a half day, so
students aren't with us much. They just visit and sign yearbooks.
However the day before the last day we play Pictionary!! In my
drama class we do improvs.
- Donald
--------------------------------------
Deb uses the last day in a productive manner.
I have them write a letter to the incoming sixth graders,
giving tidbits of insight, advice, and info. Then they do a bit
of an evaluation--plus help with the housekeeping tasks.
- Deb
-------------------------------------------------
Michelle Pedigo, a former middle school principal, challenged
readers to consider ways of using those last days in a more productive
manner and described ways that her school tried to achieve this
goal.
Ellen, thanks for bringing up the "last days of school"
topic. This is another "systems" situation, that most
of us fall into, and as a participant of that, I want to push
us to think about how we could do it differently because many
or all of us do much less the last week of school than we probably
should.
Again, I think it is up to the school leadership to expect that
learning continues even on the last day the buses run. Before
I continue, please know I believe our list members would feel
the same way I do; in essence, I'm probably "preaching to
the choir," but I'll continue.
Looping (teachers moving on with the same kids to the next grade
level) somewhat helps this situation because teachers are teaching
for the next year, even on the last day of school, because they
will have the kids again. If we really audited our time, are we
really doing all we can do to reach the needs of kids within our
school calendar? We complain about how much the state-mandated
tests take out of our instructional time, but then we show movies,
declare no homework, etc., during the last week or so of school.
As a principal, it was hard for me to explain to parents why they
should send their students when "we weren't doing anything
any," and as a parent myself, it was hard for me this year
to feel comfortable with her going the last few days when they
started cleaning their room the first of that week.
All that said, here's somewhat of a solution we came up with after
the first year I was principal. That year, we had 85% attendance
the last day; I turned it in that way and the DPP questioned how
that could happen. I learned later that most principals just declare
100% attendance that day....how green I was!
But, here's what we did the next year. Our students take finals
in 1/2 of their core subjects each semester and in their related
arts classes at the end of year class. The finals count two test
grades. Because we were on teams, we could schedule the core tests
in homeroom once a day, approximately the last two or three days.
They took their related arts test whenever their class was scheduled.
After that, we had seventh grade awards the next to the last day
of school. (We go 1/2 days the last two days for the MS and HS
to cut down on bus and school negative behavior) and seventh grade
field day the last day, after the final. Then, the students went
home.
For eighth graders, we had the traditional "Eighth Grade
Breakfast" and motivational speaker after the final the next
to last day. Awards Day the last day, after the final, and the
students went home.
The last two weeks of school, we had a school-wide interdisciplinary
unit one year, called Decades. Each eighth team picked a decade
after WW II because that is in the high school curriculum and
the seventh grade did too; in reflection, they should have picked
a decade in the eighth grade curriculum to get them a jump start
on next year. Students created dramatic presentations, etc. It
was a school-wide effort and the "Decades" presentations
actually took place one or two days before finals. That was the
last year I was there, and I think they have continued that practice
since then.
I am surely not here to say we found all the answers. It's still
not perfect. Kids and their families still question if we will
be "doing anything tomorrow," but we don't have movies
going on anymore and the clean-up time starts a lot later, etc.
And, by the way, discipline and student control is much better
because the students see a purpose for being at school and they
are, for the most part, engaged.
Our time is precious, I believe, as we strive to serve all students.
Most of the at-risk students spend the summer without an academic
impetus anyway, unless they are in our summer programs, so why
would we want to lengthen that time? Or, is it an "adult
want" to lengthen it?
Leave it to me to be hard-nosed, I know! :) But, if we make decisions
for student achievement, then we'll have student achievement.
- Michelle
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jean explained how her colleagues moved beyond using the last
days of school to "mark time."
One related issue which prevents many teachers, at least in
my building, from using the last few days to teach instead of
mark time is that grades have to be turned in so early. Our grades
were due by 3:00 on Friday, but school was not out until the following
Wednesday. Lockers were cleaned Friday afternoon, and then emptied
on Monday afternoon. Both Tuesday and Wednesday morning, we watched
the doors, sending all book bags to the office and checking inside
any other bags (for water guns or the like). We took real attendance
the last day of school -- attendance was excellent; up around
97%. After the two-hour awards, we handed out report cards the
last ten minutes before students left the building.
In my own classroom, students were finishing up lit circle work
on a novel, and they were under the impression somehow that while
other teachers actually told them grades were due, they could
still work for credit in my room. I did not dissuade them! On
the last full day of classes, mine played a Parcheesi type review
game over the novel.
Teachers worked the rest of Wednesday and Thursday. Many of us
were still there most of last week too, at least those who taught
pretty much up until the end. Those who quit when grades were
due were basically finished by Thursday afternoon.
- Jean
---------------------------------------
Michelle responded to Jean's posting.
Thanks, Jean, for the further specifics on the last days of
school. We check back packs also, and I didn't clarify that we
had high attendance after that first year.
I understand the report card issue. That's why we mail ours home.
The PTSA pays for the postage.
- Michelle
-------------------------------
Eileen shared her ideas.
Our last day is a half day. We would begin with about a two-hour
awards assembly. Then the sixth and seventh graders went to their
homerooms until dismissal. The librarian would play a movie over
the Channel One televisions to all of our rooms. The eighth grade
promotion was the afternoon before the last day of school. The
eighth graders would have a special last day. The PTO provided
a breakfast before school. After the awards assembly they would
go to the cafeteria where they could be together until it was
time to go home.
This year they combined our two middle schools into one 7-8 school.
We still have two and a half more weeks of school, so I'm not
sure of exactly how the last day will be. We are having a short
awards assembly and according to our June calendar the eighth
grade breakfast is still on. Yearbooks are supposed to be distributed
that day, so the rest of the day will probably be spent trying
to get students to sign their yearbooks. The seventh grade teachers
are going to decide whether we will keep them in homeroom or supervise
in the gym.
- Eileen
---------------------------------------
Deb agreed with Michelle.
Michelle, you are not hard-nosed in the least, and if the
kids are busy, they are self-directed and still learning. What
drives me nuts is the message we send when text books are turned
in a week before the last day. Why do they do this? We hung on
to ours in New York until the last dog died and the Regents' Exams
were finished.
I made my kids take a very difficult higher level thinking test.
I did show a History Channel film on cats to develop background
for the article that I was going to have the kids read and respond
to in the test. It was a two and a half dayer-- the test. They
complained about it being "so hard." I complained that
I would not be much of a teacher if I gave an easy test. We worked
on techniques for taking hard tests, rereading, finding synonyms
that went with key words in the questions, eliminating the obvious,
and kicking thinking up a notch. They got it. It had to help them
prepare for the ISTEP Test which will face them in September,
gave them strategies.
The last full day that I had them, we worked on mythology in the
morning, and in the afternoon we went to the Indy Isle pool attached
to our school for a free swim. We felt that this was better than
a field day as they were contained and had extra supervision.
I had a really wild, unruly, and often cruel group of kids. The
kids did well, got a few snacks, and went home on the bus exhausted
from the water.
I am still wondering about teachers who did grades two weeks prior
to mine. I did them the day before the last day and a lot of teachers
were angry with me for not having them done. I had a test to grade
... and it really showed growth. The scores of the kids increased
50 points, for an average of 69%. Initially, yup-- they averaged
19% on a similar test. All and all, I am glad I taught until the
last dog died. That is what their parents are paying me to do,
and that is what I always do. Thanks for expecting that from teachers,
and I think you are preaching to the choir and most of us do not
mind the music.
- Deb
------------------------------------------
Jack told how he planned to make the last days of school meaningful
for his students.
We are out on Tuesday, June 18, and it's a full day. Most
of the systems around us have a half-day. On our last day, we
have the typical awards assembly, then our team goes bowling,
and then we have an "ice cream social," then a few minutes
at the end with our advisees to say goodbye and hand out report
cards.
In the past we tried to spend some time going around from class
to class, but it was just busy work, and the kids knew it. Most
of us keep teaching up until the last day, and then the last day
is a fun day. I would like to see us send report cards home via
USPS because now we have to close grades on June 7, enter them
on the computer system by June 11, and then keep teaching until
June 17. It's the way it's always been done, so we keep doing
it.
I've just finished my decades of the 20th century unit by having
the kids create scrapbooks of a chosen decade which I then will
grade. I thought I'd probably have them have some fun presenting
the info to the other kids who did different decades. Then, I'll
finish up the year by doing some discussions of current events
and trying to make sense of conservatives and liberals and different
presidents and their takes on both domestic and international
affairs. I've never done it before, so who knows how it will work
out.
- Jack
-------------------------------------
Eileen commented further.
We mail our report cards home as well, but the end of the
marking period is one full week before school ends and the grades
are due with three days left. We all say that we can change the
grades even though they've been submitted, but the students know
we will probably not do that. Fortunately I teach science so I
spend the last week doing an egg drop and a paper airplane contest.
- Eileen
---------------------------------------
Amy described the "best" way to finish the year off!
We take our kids here in Windsor, Colorado up to the mountains
for the day. We go to Lory State Park, a ranger speaks to us about
the wildlife to look out for, then we go on a 2-3 hour hike, return
to the site for a barbecue and some volleyball/water fights. It
is the BEST way to spend the day!
- Amy
-------------------------------------
Caron described a way to finish the year off productively and
with your sanity intact.
We do community service work.
The local nursing homes always want cards, we have had kids make
up games for elementary school kids....one group did a neat board
game.
The kids stay busy, constructive, help others...and you end the
year with a little of your hair left.
- Caron
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