It is hard to believe that so much can take place in just 10 months. I have wrapped myself in the whirlwind for more than a decade and each phase still amazes me. After several years of watching 3rd graders grow, learn, & evolve I found myself immersed in the world of Kindergarten. Brave or bonkers? The jury is still out on that one (smile). In the spirit of transparency, I must disclose the fact that I entered this school year with a mix of fear and excitement. Keep in mind the fear outweighed the excitement. This was definitely new territory and a lot was riding on my journey. There were 21 little ones who needed me to accept all challenges, face all fears, and conquer everything that came my way. What did I fear? First, I was moving into a new classroom and needed to find a way to make it a familiar work environment. While returning to my home district, I was moving into a new school; unfamiliar administration, staff, & routines. Also, as previously mentioned, Kindergarten was foreign to me and I needed to hit the ground running. As of this day, I am proud to say I survived Kindergarten with flying colors. It may have taken all year but, my classroom is completely organized. My colleague are completely awesome and much of my personal success is due to their support, friendship, and teamwork. I cannot omit my virtual colleagues, my amazing Twitter PLN family. Lastly, my students showed up and showed out. They came to me with a wide range of skill sets; many could not write letters or numbers, only a few recognized some sight words, and most were extremely dependent on me for everything. Today, these rising 1st graders are independent readers, writers, thinkers, and possess solid mathematical skills. They are not only writing their names but, most two or more sentences! I learned just as much from them as they did from me. They will forever remain in my heart and mind. My wish for then is continued success beyond anyone's standards.