Today is the 100th day of school! Our first graders started off the celebration with a special breakfast, and they each brought in a collection of 100 things to show and tell. Kindergarten made crowns and paraded through the classrooms to honor this noteworthy day. This is a big day for them.
I remember my 100th day of first grade with Ms. Lee. I brought in a collection of 100 pennies, which I remember distinctly because I spent the majority of the day bragging that I had a whole dollar. A dollar was a big deal back then, which got me thinking about just how much, or how little can change in 100 days, depending on your age.
What in their lives has changed in 100 days?
-Let’s start with making new friends. In kindergarten, they’ve made more than twenty friends in about four months. To me, that sounds so terribly exhausting. To them, what a fabulous adventure!
-First grade moved upstairs to the main classroom hall and got their very own desks.
-Teeth. I don’t even want to think about how many teeth have been lost in the last 100 days. Or how broke the tooth fairy must be by now.
What about the older kids?
-Our eighth graders applied to high school. They got their first experience waiting tables. They have gracefully fulfilled their role of leaders of the school.
-The seventh graders completed their first science fair project. And, many of them officially became teenagers. Eesh.
-The sixth graders started middle school, working hard to adjust to the rotating teachers and the responsibilities of traffic duty.
And the adults?
A new pain in the knee, a stronger glasses prescription, a general feeling of being “rusty.” Nothing nearly as exciting as our kids (and fingers crossed, no visits from the tooth fairy!).
Whether you’re the age of extreme change, or the age of almost none, the 100th day of school is an accomplishment. It’s a reminder that we are always moving forward, always growing and learning and teaching. We are always welcoming change into our family.