On A Final Note

Dear students,

One summer, 10 weeks (in reality it's been 9 weeks), and a thousand laughs, tears, screams, and memories to last for who knows how long.

A lot of you probably first saw me this summer when I clunked up the stairs in three inch heels, wearing a floor length blue BCBG dress (my graduation gown).
I was Jess Fong: 4th grade & kindergarten English/Math teacher. I was the one with the obscenely loud voice that always carried from one corner of the big room to the other. I was the one who always had a child hanging off my hip. I was the one who told everyone to clean their mess or lose ice pop privilege.

Yet despite the many, many times I've nearly lost my voice yelling at the top of my lungs, I can't help but still love you all. I have taught every single one of you, either through merging classes or substituting for your teachers. You are all my students, and for Jess Fong, that indicates a certain species of bonding that holds deep and doesn't easily go away.

I can't put into words how hysterically proud I am of all of you to carry through the massive lessons and projects that I planned. Debates, ethics, poetry, the government, economy, Constitution... these are all fairly difficult topics to grasp. As for the performance Friday night, I just have two words. STANDING OVATION. Nothing could have topped that performance.

But its 11:35pm, and I have to sleep soon so I can drag myself up at 6am to go down to Hopkins, so I'll jump to the things that I really need to say.
This summer has, hands down, been one of the most amazing and memorable summers of my life. They say that teaching keeps you young, and I believe it really does. Even though many of you are mature beyond your years, you still retain that youthful playfulness and innocence that makes me so happy, even when I'm trying to break up fights or lecture you with a straight face.
Don't try to grow up too early, guys. Stay young, and enjoy your years of pre-high school-ness. Every year is going to have its difficulties, but always look for the silver linings that make up the confetti of life's parties. For those of you who read Sylvia Plath, don't listen to her poems. Life is beautiful, and for the majority of the time it's going to stay that way. Enjoy everything that is given to you, and make the most out of everything.
My suggestion, and the way I have gotten through everything thus far, is to take life head on. Take everything -- good or bad -- head on and barrel into it with the force of Daniel. If not, imagine what you would miss by trying to skirt around everything all the time.
One last note: Work hard, play hard. Give yourselves time to relax and absorb. Just sit and listen to music, name the unicorns that you see in the clouds, read for the sake of just reading. Do your work early, set time aside wisely, and then play until you collapse.

Take these lessons and go conquer your schools, take the future.

I'll be back definitely during Thanksgiving.

Enjoy.

xo
Jess Fong