i just cannot imagine anything sadder than what happened today in connecticut. hard to think about 20 little lives gone. that would be my ENTIRE class.
i’m so so sad and sorry for the parents who lost children. it’s unimaginable.
~
my day here in LA started with me running out of gas… and a call to AAA. i wish i could say this has never happened to me before, but alas it has. i know!
i was about 40 minutes late to school. yikes!
i was so torn about what to tell the kiddos about why i wouldn’t be returning in january. or even IF i should tell them. but in the end i wanted to give them a chance to ask questions and process everything. so i told them a lie.
so… as of january 7th i’ll be caring for my ailing grandfather. in his big rambling house. in the mountains. where i will definitely be taking wyatt & corky. and i will have a big room in the big house and hang up all their pictures and notes. and i will never ever forget them. i watched the news move across their faces. they looked stunned. but then started speculating about who their new teacher would be. they hope it will be the sub who moonlights as a magician and taught them some magic tricks last month. i hope so too. he will be perfect!
i asked 4 of them who looked the most bewildered and sad if they would please babysit our french moulin roty friends. marie, antoinette, and jean paul. also there is a monkey named george. with one exception these were the quietest kids in class. the introverts. little miss sunshine in one of the photos above wanted george. they were very happy when i told them they had to take the class pets home to be sure they were cared for properly. L.M.S. promptly made a cradle for george on her desk. at the end of the day she asked if my grandfather lived in europe. then she asked what she was supposed to do if she had to tell me something important. i told everyone they could send me notes and pictures via my two best 2nd grade teacher friends and i would answer them.
we played, made books, colored, listened to beethoven, played baseball, and wrote in our journals.
if you think of “my ailing grandfather” as synonyms for my “creative spirit” you will see it is really not a lie at all. not at all.
That brought tears to my eyes, what a lovely thing you did for those beautiful children.
Empty heart from your side, but it will all be OK. It’s better to take some time off before burn-out. If you decide you want to return you will have the added experiences that you will gather in the coming months. I think your white lie was totally justified. Have a great time Mary Ann, and I am sure that your kids will not forget you. How could they?
It is tragic what happened in the East. Only questions…
My heart has been breaking since I heard the news from Connecticut, but looking at the amazing and beautiful faces in today’s entry bring hope and peace to my heart. I am so pleased for your new adventure, but I know you will miss these precious ones that you leave behind. Much love Ms. Moss, bon voyage, and vaya con Dios!
Telling them you were going was surely the right path, though harder, in some ways, than not saying anything.
I’m thinking these kids are more likely than average to have experienced people disappearing from their world. Thank you for taking the harder path, and preparing them for your absence.
I think telling them you had family business to attend to (in words a small kid could understand) was a perfectly legitimate thing to do. Sometimes you have to leave a situation, and sometimes giving the literal reason is just going to make things worse for everyone. I think you made a perfect choice. Something they could hear, and understand, and sympathize with…..
Hoping, with you, that they get the magician. 🙂
I’ve only flown in first class once — the plane was very full, and I drew the lucky straw….. Not only do you have all of that lovely extra space, but the minions anticipating your every whim are rather nice, too….. 🙂 I’ll be thinking of you on Monday, comfortably winging your way east, champagne in hand……
Take good care of grandfather. He deserves it. (((love)))
An awful day yesterday; I thought of you too, and your small persons in your class. ‘Grandpa’s illness’ is a good way to not overburden them with understanding the adult world. There was way too much sadness and scariness to process in the bigger world with the tragic events in CT, too many things to understand, or not understand. Best that they know that you are turning your care to others who need it, in whatever form they take.
I missed something! I didn’t know you were leaving your teaching position. Too bad for all those beautiful kids. And what happened in CT…unspeakable.
You are a treasure! And your children are beautiful. Have a wonderful sabbatical.
It must have been quite surreal for you to hear the news of the Connecticut school tragedy on the same day as you were saying goodbye to your class. Thank goodness your situation is a much more positive ending, gently delivered, but I know all of our hearts go out to those poor innocent victims and their families, friends and work/schoolmates. Saying goodbye is hard but it’s something we all have to do from time to time and it sounds like you handled it with grace and compassion and skill, as you always seem to do with your students. (Although I must admit I am selfishly very grateful you’re not saying goodbye to us, your online students, and that our adventure together is just beginning.) Bon voyage, Miss Moss! Wishing you safe travels and wonderful adventures!! I am so looking forward to being along for the ride!
Peace to you Mary Ann and enjoy your new adventures nurturing and “taking care of” (wink*wink) your “grandfather”. Your kiddos will miss you tons I’m sure, because you are an exceptional teacher and person. Have a wonderful trip to Italy. Can’t wait to see pics and read about your journey. When I was 20 years old I spent 3 weeks in Italy with my aunt. We travelled from Venice to Naples and everywhere in between. What a glorious trip it was. I want to go back as I loved Italy so I look forward to doing it vicariously through you for now!
Good thing I haven’t put on my eye makeup yet so it can’t be running down my face with these tears. Your kids might like their new sub but nobody could ever replace you.
What beautiful faces. You will be missed, however, a note from you will give them the world. The class will miss you.
You are a sweet, sweet person, Mary Ann. You have been a blessing in the lives of many children. I thought of you today, too. I spent a lot of time choking back tears. It is the worst.
I so wish this could become a wake-up call, but it’s hard because there have been too many such wake-up calls in the last few years. My heart goes out to the families.
Today, soon after arriving to work, there was nothing at all to say or do.
The worse thing that should ever happen to a kid at school is a pop quiz, not being gunned down…
R.I.P. little souls.
Oh Mary Ann I’ve been thinking about you all day, sending precious prayers to all those parents who lost their wee ones so tragically. I just don’t have the right words, I don’t think anyone does. It’s all so horrible and unimaginable. My thoughts often lead to you, a teacher doing her job, kids doing the stuff kids should be doing, not running from a gunman or the unknown, unnamed ‘animal’ my heart broke today and many tears have been shed. No matter what, each little life you touched matters in so many ways, If there is a bright spot in so much darkness, it’s the bravery and care of the teachers and staff of the school that did what was needed to protect the little ones. Each day is precious and I’m glad you gave your wee ones a chance to ask questions, process in their own way that a new teacher would be coming in Jan. You are a gem Mary Ann, a very precious one indeed.
I’ll bet you’ll miss them almost as much as they’ll miss you! And think of how refreshed and exciting it will all be when you return with the added adventures of your sabbatical to share with them. On a day like today, I’m sure on a day like today, telling them about your absence was with a lot of mixed emotions. The littles are soooo lucky to have had you for the first half of their school year.
So sweet on such a sad day.
Mary Ann,teaching is not just what you do,it’s what you are.:)
You are such a kind soul Mary Ann.
Your 2nd graders are so beautiful, I am sure today was difficult for everyone, bittersweet.
I am happy for you but so very sad for these kids!! But then again they were so blessed to ahve begun their school careers with YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sad along with you!!!
you are what is good in this world.
bless you.