Saying Goodbye is hard ...

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

- Winnie The Pooh

+Arianne Jones came to visit our class on May 24th.  It was amazing!  She showed the students her racing equipment, answered questions, handed out certificates and gave hugs all around.  The students loved the day!  They knew they had been treated to a one of a kind experience.  It was a great way to celebrate our classroom adventures with Arianne.

The next day, special hats arrived at our classroom, courtesy of Arianne Jones.  What a wonderful surprise. The students immediately put them on and happily wore them all day.  It was a bittersweet reminder that Arianne shared her experiences and mentored us to become better people.  But it also reminded us that our year with Classroom Champions was drawing to a close.

The hats arrived as we wrote thank you letters to Encana. Encana transported Arianne to Grande Prairie and made sure she could visit Harry Balfour, Riverstone Public School and to Hythe Elementary School.  We wanted Encana to know how much we appreciated their generosity and support. Special thanks to Fiona Liebelt, who drove Arianne to the different venues.

Arianne Jones has been a wonderful role model for our class.  She is fearless. We shudder, as she giggles and tells us, that she rockets down the luge tube at speeds faster than one hundred kilometres. We are reminded to face the new experiences with enthusiasm and positive energy.

Her friendly smile and open demeanour are mesmerizing.  She is a great ambassador for sport and knows how to connect with individuals.  We certainly felt enamoured! We are reminded to greet others with an open friendly attitude and respect individual differences.

Arianne has shared her knowledge and experiences with our class.  Her mentorship has taught us valuable life lessons.  Goal setting, perseverance and healthy living gave us direction for success and we are reminded that “giving back” rewards those who give. We are lucky to have a mentor who makes saying goodbye so hard.

For myself, the farewell celebration drew interesting parallels to my teaching career.  I will retire this June, after teaching young students for thirty seven years. It has been a happy career!  I have been especially happy to spend my last three years with Classroom Champions.  Thank you for welcoming me into this wonderful community. I am lucky to love Classroom Champions so much that it is difficult to say goodbye.  

Now it is time to say farewell.  We love Arianne and appreciate her guidance and kindness.  The students love Classroom Champions and understand they have experienced a unique opportunity.  Thank you Arianne Jones, for a wonderful year.  Thank you Classroom Champions for letting us experience this fabulous year!

Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.  - A. A. Milne