Another Year Over
Today is a half day for our students… their last day in this school year. I have mixed feelings about the ending of this school year, and most of them are positive. This is a complete shift from the previous two years of my working as a counselor. It’s a shift that I really like and am thankful for.
We were so lucky this year to have a new principal that truly appreciated us all. He treated everyone as an equal partner in making this school the best possible school it could be. Not only that, but he made clear that for him, the most important thing was children. Every decision he made was with the children in mind… and I think we were all happy to finally have someone leading us that believed that.
This year I was happy to be at work 90% of the time. The other 10% I was coordinating testing, so that doesn’t count. I was supported, I was having fun, and I was making a difference in the lives of kids. I was doing what I went to school to do. Don’t get me wrong, there are aspects I would change and that I will continue to try to change until I succeed. Overall though, this has been the best year since I began. I wasn’t wishing I could just move back to NY and start over as a Residence Director again, that’s for sure.
This ending is sadder than it normally would be, because this principal that has done so much for our school is leaving. All of us are wondering what awaits us next year, and hoping that it will be as positive as what came our way this year. We are all terribly saddened that he is leaving.
There are kids moving on to fifth grade that I will miss very much. There are kindergarteners moving up to first grade that I cannot believe grew so much this year. There are friendships that have strengthened and become some of the most important in my life. I have grown a great deal this year, at least professionally.
I still have a lot of work to do on myself, as I see myself making the same mistakes over and over again personally. I struggle to express myself, to be honest about my feelings, and to trust that doing so won’t alienate those around me. But I see myself trying more, and working toward doing better.
This has been a wonderful year.
