The End of a School Year

I work in technology at an elementary school. Riverton Elementary School, in Riverton, Illinois, is a great place to work. I love working there, and I love the people I work with. Almost all of them. No, really, I do.

Today was the last full day of activities before summer break. It started with a district-wide breakfast at the high school for all of the school faculty and staff.

It was a great breakfast. I decided that this is what they do for us in lieu of anything so tacky and common as say, money. But, hey, I'm a sucker for a big breakfast, so I was all over it.

I found an empty table and sat with my bounty. I could eat in peace because I work in technology. So, basically, you eat alone.

On my plate was an egg casserole of some sort, with an enormous amount of cheese on it. How can that be bad, right? I swear, I could hear my arteries closing as I ate it. It was good. So was the bacon. I finished it all off with a cinnamon roll the size of a throw pillow. Hey, it was my raise, and I was going to enjoy it.

Following a short program to honor retirees, all the staff members returned to their respective schools to begin the task of "closing up shop" for the summer break. Some would be moving to different classrooms. Some would be moving to one of the other schools. Some would just be gone.

At one point, I made my way upstairs to visit with the 4th grade teachers. I should mention at this point that none of them are exactly what could be described as right. That's why I relate to them, I suppose. They are a fun group. And we were going to be losing one of them to the middle school. I decided to shun her.

This was my first year at the school, and I made some good friends. It was nice to see some of them moving up, and sad to see some of them moving on. As for me, my own office will be moving to another location in the elementary school. It's a nice change of scenery, and I'll have a busy summer of updating and reconditioning the various technology pieces in the school.

All too soon, the chatter of children will once again fill the hallways, and I'll be dodging them as I try to navigate through the waves of sweaty little bodies, to a classroom with an out-of-date computer that isn't working right, and I'll try to make it work. And I'll smile at the teacher and tell her it works again--for now.

But for now, I'll enjoy the quiet hallways, the empty classrooms, and wonder which teacher will provide me with animal crackers in August.