3 days left with my munchkins

I'm not going to lie...this has been the most challenging, most emotional, most rewarding semester of my college career.
Where did I leave off last? With frustrations?
Those didn't go away.
Since I last posted, one of the sweetest little girls in my class moved away--when she said she was going to North Dakota, she wasn't kidding. I think each day as I enter my classroom what she must be doing in the kindergarten class she's in now...I wonder if she is okay.
The student who has been such a struggle this semester has been moved to the last tier of a psychological program...where he will more than likely be moved to another school next year in an exclusive BED program. My heart breaks for him. Somewhere between my last post and this one he has been placed on a small dose of medicine that turned this angry little boy into someone who is loving. He still seeks attention in all the wrong ways but he has changed--no doubt about it. I wonder what his home life is like, I wonder what goes on in this little boys head--I wondered all semester if he was learning anything...and the answer is ABSOLUTELY. He has learned so much despite all of his crazy behavior. I just pray that God watches out for him.
Despite frustrations. Despite how TIRED I have been at the end of most days--I have grown attached to 18 of the sweetest kids around.
Maybe I'm biased, but I started this year thinking I had the worst class of kindergarten children imaginable--only to grow so attached to them that I believe they're the best around. They know more about life than 5 and 6 and 7 year olds should know. They know heartache. They know street life. They know poor and they know rich. They are too mature for their age--because most of them have had to grow up too fast.
That scares me for them too.
One of the poorest little girls in my class did not return from spring break--her family moved her to another school--and I wonder what will come of her. Where will she end up? Will she even finish school? My worry is that her family will keep running away from problems and not take care of this little girl who needs to be learning. She has the potential to be the smartest kid in school, but she's SO BEHIND because of her family.
Some of my kids I know are going to go so far. They've all impressed me beyond what I ever thought could happen. They have all learned. I love each of them very much and I would do anything in the world for them. I wish them the best in their school career--
Kids with behavior problems have shown me they can behave. Kids who were behind at the beginning of the year have excelled. They're all going to move on to first grade. They're all going to make it--at least for another year.
This Friday we will have our pizza party for our behavior jar and they are all so excited. I'm excited too =).
These kids are amazing. They're beautiful...they're smart...and they are the kids who changed my world this semester and showed me what it means to love kids who aren't yours.
I've been blessed through frustrations--I have been loved on when I felt like not moving on--and I will never forget this time in my life.