Yesterday was Graduation Day for more than half of our preschoolers. They’re all off to Kindergarten in the fall and we don’t enroll children past that age in the Spring and Fall (some of them will be back for the summer day camp program, though). It was my first official graduation and what an event it was!

Kids’ parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, young cousins from miles away were all there. The kids were dressed to the nines with their hairs properly gelled and combed, glittery shoes buckled tight and our regularly-scheduled morning snack of apple sauce was pre-empted for after the ceremonies.

I put on a pretty skirt and top and all the parents and teachers were awestruck to learn that yes, Miss Abbey does own something other than blue jeans!

My three co-teachers and I walked all 24 kids across the street to “The Big School” (aka the actual college campus) and pinned graduation caps to their heads. We filed them into the auditorium and helped maintain order while our director gave a couple of speeches. We watched a slide show with a picture of each child and their answers to three questions we had previously asked them: What did you like best about preschool? What do you want to be when you grow up? and What are you looking forward to the most in Kindergarten? The answers to these questions were hilarious. Here is just a sample for you:

What did you like best about preschool?
J: I like to take showers.
M: The playground.
C: Playing with the cars and having snack.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
E: A karate teacher.
Z: A horse rider girl.
O: A mom and a teacher. No wait, a cheerleader instead.
M: A Power Ranger.
B: A bat.

What are you looking forward to in Kindergarten?
H: Doing homework.
M: Recess and the playground.
R: Making new friends.
J: Learning to count to the millions and getting rich.

After the speeches and slide show, our director passed out diplomas and let the kids sprinkle “magic dust” (confetti) on whomever they wanted (yes, I got pelted by the very last child!). Then we sang some songs we had been practicing for three weeks. Finally, we hoofed it back across the street to our little school and enjoyed a reception full of cake, cheetos and punch! Fortunately, I wasn’t officially working that day so I got to leave as soon as all the kids had been crammed full of sugar and excitement.

It truly was an experience for me. One of my co-teachers, who is actually the head teacher in the room, has been with most of these kids since they first started at our school over two years ago. She has seen them grow out of diapers and into the big kid pants they all achieved. Poor lady, she was bawling through the entire ceremony - especially when one little whippersnapper pummeled her with the magic dust!

I didn’t cry because this is my first real semester of being their actual teacher. I’m sure in a couple years when I watch the little ones in my teaching group graduate I’ll be a puddle on the floor. But the whole ceremony made me reflect on what I’m doing there and how it truly is a dream come true for me. I’ve worked so hard to reach this point in my life and I am very proud of myself. I love these kids and am looking forward to many more graduations in the years to come!