Recess Rules

 

There’s just no time like it

These first days of June,

The summer’s in reach

And school will end soon.

The kids hold their breath

To the ticks of the clock.

At noontime today

They will sprint (forget walk!)

To their busses or cars

And with shrill squeaks and squeals

They’ll throw off their backpacks

And sigh, while the wheels

Of the cars and the busses

Try to outrace each other

And streak Crocker’s driveway

With six feet of rubber.

 

For the books are turned in

And the chairs are all stacked

The cubbies are cleaned,

So it’s time to look back

On the year just completed;

The fun that we shared,

The lessons we learned,

And the risks that we dared

To attempt while growing

And changing each day.

We think of the friends

That we made on our way

Through the Cream of the Cookie;

Applewild’s Golden Jewel,

Grades 4, 5, and 6,

Our beloved Middle School.

 

Remember your first day

Of fourth grade? The fun

That you had with Ms. Syre-Hager

Or Ms. Shepherdson?

They made you work hard

And your brain they kept sharp

But they often gave treats

during Math tests and GARP.

And they were always right there

 

 

When you felt lonely and low.

When you needed somebody

You knew just where to go.

They would listen and smile

And lovingly say

That it wasn’t so bad

And it would all be okay.

 

And of course, they were right!

Your year was quite good

And it gave way to fifth grade

Where you knew that you would

Either be of the Brodeurian

Or Mullinite clan.

Either way was okay

Because it’s usually the plan

Within each of these classrooms

To have a few laughs,

To learn how to think while

Fixing your gaffes.

So while learning of Gilgamesh,

Or caring for Bubbles,

Or suffering through lame jokes,

You forgot all your troubles.

Though your work-load increased

As your free-time truncated

You can say with some pride

You weren’t defenestrated.

 

And then on to sixth grade

The highest of all,

With Ms. Caldwell, Mrs. Gregson,

And, of course, Mr. Paul.

You were the tip of the totem

The top of the pile,

You had your own wing,

You ruled recess with style.

Your teachers watched over

As you played, laughed, and learned

And they swelled up with pride

As they watched how you turned

From a gaggle of giggles

To a cohesive team

 

 

And now this year is fading

Like a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

 

And presiding o’er all

Like a Fairy Godmother

Was a wonderful lady,

And I mean, none other

Than our beloved Ms. Jones

Who brightened our days

With her unceasing smile

And the calm, gentle, ways

She defused any crisis,

And made many stops

To lead Reading Groups

Or collect some box-tops.

Above and beyond

Was Ms. Jones’s usual way.

There’s no one that’s like you

And that’s why we say:

Bon Voyage!ÂArevaderci!

We bid you adieu!

We’ll miss you, we thank you,

And we’ll always love you.

 

Now next year looms large

And with it comes change.

Just Upper and Lower

Divisions might seem strange

But look at it this way:

Without change there’s no growth!

There’ll be challenge, excitement,

And opportunities in both

Upper and Lower School

a.k.a. our new homes;

Our new stage to shine on;

Our new kingdom to roam.

In truth, it won’t matter

At the end of the day,

The labels of Lower

Or Upper don’t say

What’s really important

To the growth of a child:

We’re not Lower or Upper as much

As we are Applewild.

 

 

So what lies ahead

Down the road, ‘round the way?

Who knows?ÂIt’s a mystery!

But this I can say:

All you’ll need for your new

Role to be a success

You’ve already learned

When you had your recess.

If you’ve learned nothing else,

If the Math didn’t stick,

Wordly Wise was a chore,

History, not your shtick,

Then just cast your mind back

To the beginning of school

At our first assembly

When I told you the rules

That we’d use on the playground

To avoid conflict and strife.

Well, these same rules apply

To the rest of your life.

 

So for next year, and next year,

And the year after that,

And down through the years,

As you grow bald or fat,

Remember that always

You’ll reap what you sow.

So sow only seeds that

Will help you to grow.

In short, come next year

As a new chapter’s begun

Live the Applewild Way:

Be safe…

          Â   Â…Play fair…

                                  Â…Have fun!

 

-Kevin Brodeur