When I was a 5th grader, new 5th graders and old 5th graders were shuffled together and passed out like an ever changing deck of cards. Best friends stuck together, while others slipped apart.
When I was a 5th grader, poems on pink heart-shaped paper dangled from the ceiling like pink and black stars. They twisted and twirled like flat little ballerinas.
When I was a 5th grader, we celebrated ours and each other’s birthdays, ate pizza and cake, and left the presents at home. Every birthday was memorable, but not distinct.
When I was a 5th grader, we lost and found everything and anything. Frequent rants about lost folders and papers were heard. The office was the place to go.
When I was a 5th grader, the chorus sang about rabbits and rain.
When I was a 5th grader, we made foam board posters for the science fair.
When I was a 5th grader, we ran in the hallway and pretended not to.
When I was a 5th grader, we worked on colorful math posters to hang on strings.
When I was a 5th grader, almost all the advanced Chinese and Japanese classes groaned about tests.
When I was a 5th grader, homework scattered the whiteboard in bright blue marker.
When I was a 5th grader, we made volcanoes to erupt. Ours became extinct. Others were definitely Hawaiian.
When I was a 5th grader, lunch ladies were thought to be mean and evil.
When I was a 5th grader, we prayed that we would not have to jog in P.E, not that it mattered.
When I was a 5th grader, we all learned the definition of pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis.
When I was a 5th grader, we all got used to each other.

When I was a 5th grader, we said hello, and we said goodbye.