It was an unusual finish to the 2019-2020 school year for students and teachers around the Wisconsin conference. End of the year celebrations are a highlight for most students as they say goodbye to their friends and hello to summer break. Wisconsin teachers did not want to lose this time to celebrate with their students, especially those who would be graduating and moving on to high school. Below is a list of how our Adventist teachers connected with their students to make the last week of school memorable.

-At one school the teacher and students had a final class meeting virtually so everyone could say goodbye.

-At another school students gathered online for “Show and Tell” and the teacher presented pictures from the entire school year.

-One class met for a final worship together and then watched a movie!

-Students at one another school were given staggered times to return their books, computers, and assignments.  When each student arrived at school the teacher met them with a balloon and a maze game with a “You are A-mazing” gift tag.  The teacher measured each student, they cleaned out their locker and desk, and left with some homemade ice cream made especially for them by their teacher.

-One teacher went to each home to visit and wish students a great summer.

-At another school students met in google classroom for a party.  They played Junk Wars and watched “Green Eggs and Ham”.

-Another teacher had each student and their family come to the school for a graduation photo session.  The teacher gave them a diploma and graduation gift and then served refreshments.

-Another school scheduled families to come in at half-hour intervals so students could return books and clean out desks and lockers. When students arrived at school there was a large “Welcome” sign and helium balloons at the school entrance. Home and School prepared a box of fun goodies for each student and the teachers had written a personal note and award for each student. The teachers took pictures of each student to put on their school Facebook site. Students, teachers, and parents enjoyed visiting face to face while eating delicious homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches provided by the teachers.

-One school had a large zoom meeting where each teacher “handed” out awards.

-Students received a “slime” gift when they returned their materials at one school.  The teachers, school families, and friends of the 8th graders at this school went the extra mile by providing driveway celebrations. The 8th graders were given balloons, sweet rolls for the family, sprayed with silly string and bombed with confetti.  How fun!!

-At another school the students came in individually and were given a gift bag full of books and other goodies.

-One teacher had their students come in one family at a time to be measured and compared their height to the beginning of the school year.

-Another teacher gave cash awards for outside reading.  A “party-in-a-bag” was sent to each family, which contained some fun things, snacks, and $15.00 for each family to purchase pizza. The teacher and students gave on-line hugs.

-Donuts were given to each student and their families at another school.

-One teacher drove to each student’s house to chat with them from a distance and say goodbye. On the last day of school they had a Zoom party and played a scavenger hunt game.

-Another teacher ordered signs from Vistaprint to place in each student’s yard. Attached to the sign were balloons and a gift bag with an outdoor game for the students to play over the summer. The teacher wrote the students a colorfully illustrated poem about the school year ending and attached it to the bag.

-The upper grade students in one school celebrated with popcorn and a movie of a play they had been reading. They discussed the movie production’s interpretations and how they differed from the play as they imagined it. The teacher had a class meeting with the 8th graders and they voted to use their fund-raised class trip money to bequeath the school a new water fountain.

Thank you, teachers, for working hard to make this a memorable year, even with the challenges of on-line teaching. We are blessed to have such dedicated teachers in the Wisconsin Conference.

As we end the school year, plans are already in the works on what school may look like next year. There are various on-line platforms in the process of being researched and piloted by teachers throughout the North American Division, Lake Union, and Wisconsin Conference. Our conference is going forward with plans on how to provide the best Adventist education in the classroom or on-line for the 2020-2021 school year. Thank you, Wisconsin Conference constituents, for investing in your young people and supporting Adventist schools.

Sue Nelson, Wisconsin Conference Superintendent of Education