endings

well, tomorrow is our kindergarten musical celebration and "graduation". it's so amazing to think back to the first month of school and how much they have all grown and learned. i really wish i could post some pictures of them with this blog so you could see how utterly amazing my kinders are, but apparently that's a no no. i feel so blessed to be able to spend my working life with these precious little souls. i know many of them come from some difficult home situations, but at least i know that while i'm around they are all cherished.

i cry every year at the end. i know i will still see most of them next year, but i still miss them. we sing a song called "the children of many colors". here are the lyrics:
from the ocean, cross the desert, to the mountain high
live our people, hear our voices, rising to the sky

*(chorus)we are the children of many colors
and ever since our birth,
we've been sisters, we've been brothers
and we live on mother earth*

sun of daylight, moon of midnight, guard our mother's land
we together, must protect her, every grain of sand

*chorus*

we move to the rhythm of the circle of life
and listen to earth's song
we dance to nature's heartbeat
and keep our mother strong

we all share the water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe
we all share the skies above, the river below, the land we love

*chorus*
-end of lyrics-

so, imagine 75 ethnically diverse 5 and 6 year olds singing this song. ya, it's that adorable and heart wrenching. it gets me every time. then we go back to our classroom and they get their "diplomas". we all made construction paper grad caps as well - TOO CUTE! and i cry again. someday i will have my own classroom.