The Last Day of School?
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Until recently, “the last day of school” sparked joy in students across the country. It meant summer vacation, playing with friends, swimming pools, popsicles, fireworks and, most importantly, ten weeks without schoolwork. Of course, this year, the last day of school came early and without warning, bringing none of its usual excitement.
As kids all over the world transitioned from learning in the classroom to at-home instruction, students and teachers alike wondered when they’d be reunited. Inspired by the memory of her last day spent in the classroom, third-grade teacher Jordan Saez wrote The Last Day of School? (BookBaby), a children’s book that reminisces about the last day students enjoyed in the physical company of their classmates and teachers.
Beginning with Kindergarten, Saez’s story travels chronologically through elementary school classes on their last day of in-person meetings. Kindergarteners play with their teachers during recess, first-graders write in Spanish, second-graders discuss robotics, third-graders eat a donut breakfast (a treat Saez’s own class happened to enjoy on their last day together), fourth-graders chat about leadership and fifth-graders build their own websites. Sounds fun right?
Saez’s book features English and Spanish text side by side along with bright cartoon-like illustrations. The bilingual text makes the story accessible to children in two languages, but also allows young readers the opportunity to practice their foreign-language skills. As a Spanish teacher, it’s no surprise that Saez has incorporated this element into her work. The illustrations, while simplistic, capture the bright, bold style of many classroom decorations and tools.
Appropriately, the book’s title is a question. This past spring’s last day of school did not bring the expected joy and promise of a summer holiday, nor was it the final day children would ever spend in a school building — Saez knows she and her students would one day reunite in the classroom and acknowledges that even though “the school building might be closed,” students have “never stopped learning.” In fact, one of the biggest lessons of all has come from human innovation and resilience during these difficult times.
Whether inside or outside the classroom, children continue to expand their minds, and this tough time in history has shown kids and adults alike that they are capable of much more than they ever thought possible. “All of us learned that we can do hard things,” writes Saez, “so we can take that with us anywhere we go — online, in the classroom, and into the future.”
A story of community and the love of learning, The Last Day of School? reminds kids of their incredible strength and leaves readers with a restored sense of hope in these uncertain times.
The Last Day of School? is available for purchase on BookBaby and at the retailers below.
