How do you say goodbye?

This week is going to be hard. VERY hard. I told the kids last Tuesday that this was my last week and I have had several of them come up to me and ask if I will please stay. I have gotten a couple of cards and one little angel even promised me that he will behave himself better if I don't have to leave. Of course I love all their attention, but the reality is that RM is ready to have her classroom back and these kids will simply ADORE her once they adjust back to her! She is an awesome teacher who will help them bloom like never before. I look forward to visiting them and seeing her in action- they are going to do so well!
But before that all happens, they have to say goodbye to Mrs. Leece. Oy- just thinking about it makes my heart hurt. I'm so used to seeing them every day and giving them my "all".
I have been thinking about different ways I can honor our time together and show them that they mean the world to me- without spending a lot of money (since I'm not getting paid to do this-- and had to quit my paying job to student teach- I have to be frugal) I picked up some bookmarks and am writing a note on the back of each one to personalize it. Then I wrote each of them their own letter from me. I will put these in their backpacks on Tuesday when they are in specials so they won't have to read them in class. I went to an art fair this weekend and met an author of a children's book that is set in the Traverse City area- so I purchased that book and will give it to the class on Tuesday- so a book and bookmarks. Plus their little notes. I hope this will show each of them in some small way what they have come to mean to me!