Child & Adolescent Development
Endings can be difficult for both children and adults. As the final days of school approach, students often experience a range of emotions, including sadness at saying goodbye to friends, anticipation for new adventures, and anxiety about the transitions ahead. These feelings may be especially strong for students who rely on school for daily routines, meals, and afterschool programming. For them, leaving behind the comfort and stability of the school environment can feel particularly unsettling.
In classrooms where educators have worked intentionally to create safe, supportive learning communities, saying goodbye can be challenging for everyone. As the school year winds down, thoughtful planning can help ease this transition. Activities that offer reassurance, celebrate community, and look ahead to the future support students in feeling secure as they prepare for summer and the new school year.
Here are three strategies you can use to support students as you navigate the final days of school and prepare for the transitions ahead.
Pay special attention to the final Morning Meetings of the year because students will remember them throughout the summer. Use the familiar and safe structure of Morning Meeting to give students the chance to acknowledge their feelings as they say goodbye, and to reflect together on all the learning they’ve done during your time together.
For greetings and group activities, consider revisiting class favorites. These familiar routines provide moments of joy and connection, while also giving students a chance to celebrate their shared experiences and reflect on how they’ve grown together.
The sharing portion of Morning Meeting offers a great opportunity to reflect on learning. To ensure this happens, implement a focused-topic sharing. Some productive topics could include:
To close out the Morning Meeting, give everyone a chance to sign the final morning message of the year. You can also raffle off the message to a lucky class member who gets to take it home as a memento. (If you try this idea, make sure to also raffle off the rest of the year’s morning messages, so each child gets at least one message to take home.)
The daily closing circle provides a calm, reflective end to the school day; during the final weeks of school, it becomes a valuable time for marking the transition ahead. In these last circles, try to incorporate activities that help students acknowledge their growth and celebrate their classroom community.
One meaningful way to begin is by reading a well-loved class book. Ask your students to think about how the story relates to their lives as learners. How does it reflect something they became passionate about in their studies? How does it reflect something they had to grapple with as a diverse group of learners?
End with a celebration of your time together. For example, students might exchange memory books filled with photos and personal stories that capture the highlights of their year together.
As a personal and meaningful way to bring the year to a close, some teachers choose to write individualized letters to each student. These letters are an opportunity to describe each student’s growth, name areas of particular expertise, forecast how the child’s strengths and achievements will help them in the year to come, and wish them a good summer.
If you choose to write goodbye letters, meet with each student individually on the last day of school to present them with their letter. This will communicate to every student how much you value what they bring to the school community, along with expressing your confidence in their ability to succeed as they continue their educational journey.
The final days of school offer a chance for you and your students to honor the community you’ve built, recognize everyone’s growth, and prepare for the transition ahead. With just a few intentional practices, you can help students leave the year feeling confident, connected, and ready for what comes next.
Stacy Cope contributed to this article.