The elementary school which I work at has a wonderfully rich tradition that takes place the very last minute of the very last school day of the school year. Since next Tuesday is the 'Wave Day', I thought I would share!
The Wave is when every single staff member (and I mean every single one of them) gathers around the driveway of the bus circle. We wait until the buses start to pull away, and we wave to all the lovely little darlings that we won't see again until September.
Some years The Wave is full of laughter and joking and joshing and singing. For example, a few years back as the buses were pulling away from the school, the staff members all started singing that wonderul Banarama song "Na, na, na, na, hey, hey, goodbye." Remember that song! It stuck in my head for three whole days after the last day of school that year. We were all singing it 'round the clock with huge grins on our faces.
One year, as we were all waving goodbye, and the kids were all looking out the bus windows, and the bus drivers were honking their horns to beat the band; we all noticed that the kids were like dominoes dropping down into their seats and crying. Aaaah, that must have been a good year! None of them wanted to leave for the summer. I can tell ya, that year we didn't sing the Banarama song. We all went back into the building (because we still had another 1/2 day to work) and we were clearing our throats and wiping the tears from our eyes.
Last year, Kathy (my co-worker) started a chant of "Give me an S." Of course, we all echoed, "S." Then it was, "Give me a U, Give me an M, Give me another M, give me an E, give me an R. What's it spell? SUMMER!" Of course, you may think that it's odd for a grown woman to lead the superintendent, the principal, the teachers, and the rest of the elementary school staff in a cheer of "Summer, " but you must understand that Kathy is a retired cheerleading coach. I guess it just comes natural to her.
I eagerly await Tuesday. It's been a long, hard year. I can only wonder what this year will bring when we all line up to do The Wave!
2 comments:
Wonderful tradition!
My sons' elementary school plays the Banarama song over the intercom at the end of the last day and one of the fifth grade teachers (several years older than you and I are) does a few cartwheels in the hall for the 4th and 5th graders!
That's so awesome that she does the cartwheels in the first place, and secondly because she CAN do them. I'm sure if I tried, I'd probably get so dizzy, I'd pass out! LOL!
Post a Comment