All year, I've been taking one of the k-classes outside and bringing them back in, when I go do my lunch job. I wanted to get them a present, for the end of the school year. I had already decided on bubbles, since every kid thinks those are fun and I figured they'd be cheap enough, that I could 22 of them, without breaking the bank. So, someone suggested the dollar store, and that's where my kids and I went to look for stuff. I found 3-pks of 4-oz bubbles for a buck, and then we found 6-pks of these little cloth balls, that are fun to play with, if you are swimming. We got some girly-girl stickers for the girls and Scooby stickers for the boys. I also bought a pack of lunchbags (60 for a buck!), which I still have quite a bit leftover to use for lunches next year.

Then I copied one of the poems for the end of the school year, substituting lunchlady for teacher and put 4 on a page. I used the fancy scissors that my kids got for Christmas, to cut them out.

I'm glad I was your lunchlady
I've come to love you so.
I can't believe the end is here.
I hate to see you go.

Remember all the fun we had
in all the things we did
But most of all remember...
You're a Very Special Kid!

I found some clipart, from a graphics set I bought, that had a bear with a heart, that said, Free Hugs!" I gave out plenty of free hugs, thoughout the schoolyear.

Anyway, Sarah and I packaged them up last night and I brought them to school today. When I was done working, I went to their room to give them their gifts. They thought it was food-related at first, I suppose because of the lunchbags! LOL! I made them wait, until all the bags were distributed them and then they opened them. They all loved them! They took the stickers off and put them on their shirts. A few said we had given them their favorite color (bubbles were scented and the liquid came in different colors. Colors were random. I just hit it lucky!) One kid said he'd had a ball like that, but didn't know where it was.

The coolest thing is 22 kids in the class and we had to buy 24 things, so my big kids got bubbles and a ball, too! LOL!

I took pictures of them today, too. What little hams. I can't really post them anywhere, but I just want to remember them as they were today, since they will all be different in the fall.

Tomorrow is the last day, but I think the last day is too chaotic to have added a gift to it!

By Tink on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 06:40 pm:

Dawn, that's so sweet of you! Most people wouldn't have gone to that kind of effort. Those kids are lucky to have you!

By Reds9298 on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 07:39 pm:

Very nice of you! I used to go to the dollar store for all of my Christmas gifts to my K's, and for V-day and Halloween, too. I usually had 50 kids altogether, so the $1 store was a God send and the kids loved the stuff.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 08:29 pm:

I'm going to miss these kids over the summer! LOL! One of the other gals and I requested first grade, so there is a possibility, that I get to hang out with these kids next year, too. We'll see.

I didn't want to do candy, either. That seemed too easy and it's not that good for them, anyway. I know my kids would have liked bubbles and a water ball, and in fact were thrilled to be able to keep the leftovers! LOL!

By Sandysmom on Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 09:07 pm:

Dawn, you are such a sweet person. They sure were blessed to have you around. I'm sure you felt blessed as well.