MIDDLEBORO — Excitement buzzed all through the parking lot of the Henry B. Burkland and Mary K. Goode Elementary School as students celebrated their last day of school on Friday, June 14. 

The spirit of summer was in the air as music blasted and students exited the joint school buildings into a cloud of bubbles and confetti before boarding the buses to take them home.

As part of the annual sendoff, Henry B. Burkland and Mary K. Goode teachers lined the sidewalks of Mayflower Avenue and waved goodbye to students as they left the school on buses or on foot. 

Students returned the gesture, clamoring over the top of the bus windows to say farewell — and try to catch the occasional spool of silly string that educators shot at them.

The sendoff is an important tradition for kids and teachers, and it’s something that students expect teachers to be there for, said Henry B. Burkland teacher Deb Letendre. 

Students had a clear idea of what they wanted to do over summer break. Paul Chase, who is going into second grade, said he plans to spend a lot of time in his pool and go to Water Wizz Water Park in Wareham. He also knows he’s going on a 10 day cruise, he said, he just doesn’t know where. 

Frank Weymouth, a soon-to-be third grader, also had his mind set on what he wanted to do this summer: “Be lazy, sit on the couch and play video games,” he said. 

When asked if he would do schoolwork if it was assigned, he also had a clear answer. “No,” he said flatly. 

While the ‘School’s Out’ lyrics reverberated in the heads of some, others sang a different tune. The sendoff brought mixed emotions for Deb Letendre and fellow Henry B. Burkland teacher Sue Nelson, who are both retiring. 

Nelson, who teaches fifth grade, admitted that she got emotional as she watched the kids wave goodbye on the buses. 

“I choked up, so I couldn’t say anything,” she said. All she could do was wave “at the beautiful little faces sticking out of the windows,” she said. Those faces, she noted, were what kept her doing this for 24 years. 

Letendre, who has been teaching for 36 years, said sending kids off for the last time was “bittersweet.” Teaching has never been a job for her, she said. “I’m sure I’m gonna miss it.”