(We’ve made a few adjustments to our original letter for the purposes of this post.)

To Our Dear Kindergarten Children,

As we were preparing your slideshow and looking back at your adorable pictures from September until now, we’re amazed at how fast this year has gone by.  You have grown up so much, ready to leave Kindergarten and move ahead to Grade One.  You were small, shy children when we started and now you are confident, knowledgeable students.  We listen to your thoughtful questions, observe you sharing and taking turns even when it’s really hard and notice when you try to do the right thing by making a responsible choice or decision.

We are so proud of you.  Do you remember when we talked about what that meant?  It means we are so happy with what you are doing.  We’re so proud of how hard you worked on your self-regulation strategies, how you are thinking about the feelings of others, your knowledge and understanding of stories and much, much more.

We have loved teaching you this year.

We love how excited you are to have your Sharing and Special Helper Day.

We love reading stories aloud to you, and the sound of your laughter when we read the funny bits.  

We love the love you have for your Grade 7 Buddies as you play, craft, read and learn together.

We love your enjoyment of forest play and how you walk up and down the creek wearing your boots.

We love that you share our love of Sparkle Mod Podge and all things that glitter and sparkle.

We love the pride you demonstrate when sharing your schoolwork with your parents during our Student-led Conferences.

We love your enthusiasm for drawing with pastels and painting on a big scale.

We love your dedication to finishing all of the pages in your Alphabet Book.

We love all your stuffed animals, big and small, that you bring to play with in the House Corner.

…this is our greatest wish for you:  that you will be happy in every class, that you continue to find joy in your learning and that you follow your dreams to be everything that we know you can be.

We will miss you so much.  You are a very special group of children.  We are our own Kindergarten Fairy Tale that will “live happily ever after.” Have a wonderful summer!  It’s time for you to play, eat, read and sleep, and remember…take some time to breathe deeply every day…you know what to do!

Love, Your Kindergarten Teachers