“So…how did it go today?”  Hubs asked last Friday after we finally collapsed on the couch after the marathon bedtime routine.

I took a deep breath.  “It was perfect.  Really.  It was the perfect last day.”

And it was.  There were lots of hugs, lots of tears, smiles and laughter, and so many generous words of gratitude and admiration.  After five years of work helping to build a precious gem of a school from nearly scratch, it’s time for me to move on to new adventures.

For five years, whenever anyone has asked me about my job, I’ve answered truthfully, “I love it.  I work at an idyllic little school in the Bronx that’s an amazing place for kids to come and learn and teachers to come and work every day.”  And anyone who’s ever worked in the notoriously messy, imperfect business of urban education knows that that’s saying something.

There’s so much I’ll miss about my work, my colleagues, and the kids that when it came time to put it into words to read the staff on Friday, I needed some help to focus my thoughts. I turned to The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown as a mentor, trying to put my finger on the most important things about Bronx Community… and here’s what I came up with:

The important thing about Bronx Community Charter School is
that it is here.
It is true that it can be messy,
and loud,
and when you dig into it,
it is sometimes even
a little bit sad…

It is also beautiful with caring
and full of joy.

 But the important thing about BxC is
that it is here—for the families,
for the teachers,
for the kids—
for the whole world, really.

And once you’ve seen it,
and heard it,
and been a part of it,
it will never let you go,

leaving an indelible trace
that forever after whispers—
Hope.