Last year my fifth-graders all applied to Prep for Prep, and none of them got in. I was quite distraught, & could scarcely believe that the interviewers had found candidates better than my best fifth-graders. They were no less upset — Viren confessed, grinning, that he and Patrick had burst into tears when they read the rejection letter. But we talked about it & I at least felt better afterwards. They reminisced about the awkward moments in their interviews. Richard: "She asked me whether I pursued any interest outside of school, and I said Greek mythology. 'Oh, tell me all about it,' she said. I thought, 'I've just read a four hundred page book on Greek mythology, how can I tell you all about it?!'" Unfortunately everything I said to comfort them only seemed to make matters worse. "I don't want to go to a bad school!" Viren whimpered. "But you know," I said, "you don't have to apply to those schools through Prep for Prep — you can apply on your own." Richard: "I did! I applied to Horace Mann, and I got in! Only they didn't offer me a scholarship." After that, I shut up.

Last year I gave my sixth graders a four-page handout on conjunctions. I wanted them to see that two sentences illustrated the very point they defined, and as I spelled it out the students realized I had written the handout myself. They were impressed, and Ben said, without a hint of irony, "We have an author in our midst!" It was hard to keep a straight face. (I think they interpreted my smile as a sign of shy, embarassed pride.)

I was overjoyed to see my students again, but I was quite unprepared for how happy they were to see me. One of my eighth-graders (erstwhile seventh-graders) saw me in the reception area and asked, "Are you teaching us?" "I think so." (I never know til the last minute.) "Oh my God!" she squealed, and ran to tell her classmates. Whenever I saw my sixth-graders (last year's fifth-graders) we waved and smiled at each other, and when at the end of the day I finally walked into the classroom to teach them Patrick said, "The return of Ms —!" (Was that a Star Wars reference?! I think it was.)