It's been a lovely early summer here this year, but in the spirit of Murphy's Law, the first really hot and humid day coincided with our end of the year activity, with many of the activities planned for outside. The sun was unrelenting at 8:30 AM and the air so heavy and humid that there was not even a stir of a breeze in the trees, let alone on the new synthetic turf field where I was scheduled to spend my day.
And so many of the kids were woefully unprepared, too, no water bottles, dressed in heavy, dark clothing from head to foot, wearing masks even outdoors. The whole situation kind of took the wind out of the sails for a fun day featuring kickball, capture the flag, a Survivor-style relay race, and a personalized scavenger hunt all over campus. The teacher at the doors was busy, line to the water fountain was long, and arts and crafts and inside games were a welcome relief.
A similar activity was wildly popular in 2019, the last time we planned such an event. Back then, we were winding down the year with one of the toughest groups of kids I've ever taught, and that day was hot, too, but those kids navigated their teamwork and independence beautifully, despite all the challenges of the year. AND our team of teachers was strong, and as needy as the kids were, they hadn't been hit with 2 years of pandemic disruption.
My reflection on today reveals so many variables, couldas, wouldas, shouldas, but I'm too tired and disappointed to unpack them all.
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