When the fifth grade teachers asked me to write a speech
about my elementary school moments, I immediately started thinking. Memories
started running through my mind like sprints at P.E.
Some of you may
not know this, but I spent my first two school years at Woodland Elementary
which is just two miles away, but seems like a different world. Although I was
in school with my mom, Woodland didn’t have the
comfortable feeling that embraces you when you walk through the doors of Davis
as the teachers greet you with shouts of “Boker Tov,
good morning, nice haircut!”
Once you enter
those doors, you know that even if you have a test, or your least favorite
subject. Even if it’s hot dogs for lunch, CTP4 testing,
or even if you accidentally wear red on Friday, you know that what ever fun
activity you have next will take your mind off of it.
Maybe that day
you will have your second grade technology party or get your very own siddur. I
remember my mom and all of the other moms crying as we sang Rabbi Micah’s famous “This Is My Siddur.” Maybe it is
the day that Ariot teaches you the letter “reish.” Remember
Bina singing the aleph-bet song?
Or maybe that day
that didn't start off so great was the day that you get to show off your skills
at the third grade wax museum, or shout “Eureka!” as you pan
for gold on the Dahlonega field trip. Maybe you get your family friend,
Mrs.Friedman, as your teacher and she reads Because Of Winn Dixie as we
all choke up. Or you get to switch classes for science and social studies. Or this
could be the day of the how-to projects as you teach the class how to ride a
bike, like I did.
Maybe this day
that started off with the Wahsega bus breaking down turned into an awesome
experience in the woods reenacting colonial life. Maybe it’s the day you have science with the much anticipated Mrs.
Richin and watch Bill Nye, or one of those days when our class succeeds in
getting Ms. Patterson completely off topic so she’s telling us
about when she was in school at Davis. Or even a day when someone says
something that reminds Mrs. Silverboard of a song from the 80’s. Then she plays it and we laugh about an album cover from a
funny looking band with weird hair called Mötley Crüe. Maybe it’s the one day you got to do patrol
when you were a fourth grader. Remember how cool you thought that was?
Just maybe, it’s Yom Ha’atzmaut and Pepe handed you a warm
freshly grilled pita. After covering it in Israeli chocolate spread and
powdered sugar you drop it on your new white shirt. Sorry Mom! So even if your
day starts off with a dirty shirt, maybe it’s also the
day that Mr. Frank makes funny faces in the window as your teacher is going
through the fascinating new reading strategy in extensions. Maybe it’s the day when you finally finish the Tamar book in Hebrew,
or get to keep reading Number The Stars until almost everyone in the
room feels like crying, including your teacher.
So even if your day at Davis doesn’t start out so great, you will most likely finish that day
with a smile on your face. Just remember that even your worst day at Davis is a
good day. Hopefully middle school will be the same.
Shabbat Shalom. 
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