Before You Go…
By Peter Barnes

Why does the end of the year always become such a frantic blur of activity? Year-end testing, awards assemblies, final report cards and suddenly, the kids are gone. I like to find opportunities for students to slow down for a little while and appreciate the highlights of their school year before summer break. Here are some ideas that have worked for me.

Compliment cards
With a marker, each student writes his or her name in the middle of a white piece of paper. Sitting in a circle, the students pass the papers to their left. They get 30 seconds to write a few short compliments on each person's paper. It's important to emphasize writing something positive on every paper, even if they don't know each person well.

Homemade class photos
Professionally-produced class photos and school yearbooks are great, but there is something more personal about an informal, teacher-created classroom photo. Take a digital camera outside and let the kids strike goofy poses. Make copies of the photo and buy foam frames and decorations at a craft store. The students decorate their own frames and sign each other's pictures for a very personal classroom memory.

Thank-you letters to former teachers
Students reminisce about their best school memories as they thank a special teacher who affected their lives. I'm often struck by how many different teachers are chosen for this project and by the variety of memories the students evoke. Favorite lessons, cups of hot chocolate on winter days and notes of encouragement are the things students remember and write about in their letters. Without question, the teachers who receive these letters benefit as much as the students who write them.

Students vs. teachers basketball game
If you're looking for a more active way to close out the school year, students love competing against their teachers in basketball or some other sport. It doesn't matter if the teachers play well or not; students love seeing them outside the classroom setting. Their memories of stealing the ball from the art teacher or having their shot blocked by the principal will remain with them for a long time.

And remember, you also will create favorite memories for yourself with these end-of-the-year activities.

Peter Barnes teaches fifth grade in New Albany, OH.