Saying Good-by

Today we said our final farewells to our little Australian mate.  He has been with our class for a year and half but this month his father is returning to duty in his native homeland of Australia.  We have learned so much from this environmentally conscious young man who wants to save the sharks in the ocean.

His family adopted the cutest little koala in our class' name.  As a token we were sent a stuffed koala that the class named Koalay Finn.  Koalay Finn will be travelling home with different students each night in a special carrying bag.  The first student that will take it home will be Finn's long time reading and writing partner.  There is a journal for the students to write about their adventures with Koalay Finn and also the student's Australian address and e-mail if they want to write him a letter or send him an e-mail. He promises to write back!  Such a thoughtful gift from a family that will be so missed.

It's such a gift to have children from other countries spend time in our classroom.  Sometimes our classroom feels like the United Nations.  Several children have visited family out of the country and several more come from families that are newly American and speak a second language at home.  It's a great experience for the children to learn from all of these different cultures because what they generally learn is that are more alike than different and that is a message that will stay with them through adulthood.  At this time of year, we are feeling especially blessed!