Making Farewell Cards

When you are ready to leave the classroom, you can write lovely poems to say goodbye in special cards for each student. Students and parents will appreciate your thoughts and well wishes as you depart, even if you are a student teacher or aide. These special cards do not have to be expensive, and you can even make the paper yourself.

Making the Cards

There are so many software programs available to make cards or special certificates these days. Even if you do not have a color printer, you can print the card off in black and white and add color with markers, paint, colored pencils and/or stickers. If you are leaving for a faraway place, you can use the following download.

 Writing a Class Poem

You may feel strongly for the group of students and/or people you are leaving. However, you may not be the world's most creative poet. Or, maybe you do not have the time to write a creative poem with all of the things that you need to do to finish up the year or the semester.

The following are templates for poems. You can add students' names in the blanks. The first poem is for a whole class. However, it will allow each student to see that he or she has a special place in your heart when you leave. If you are going to use this poem template, it is important that each student or person in the class or group is mentioned. You can always add a couplet (two rhyming lines) to include everyone. There are 24 lines where student names can be added.

There are also four basic template individual student poems included if you would like to write a poem to each student in the class. The themes for those for poems are as follows: reader, math whiz, athlete and class clown.

Template for Goodbye Poem

For the farewell poem, you can write student names in blanks for a personalized poem. The poem can be changed or tweaked to fit your needs.

Farewell Template Poem

Wonderful memories flood my mind

As I put my brain in re-wind

I think of special characteristics of each person

And will miss all, I am certain

___________________ who tells the best interesting stories

___________________ whose outrageous outfits number in the forties

____________________ whose handwriting is the best

____________________ who can multiply better than all the rest

____________________ whose silly jokes make us giggle

____________________ whose sweet smile is so cheerful

____________________ who dances with finesse and is the finest

____________________ who is truthful and never biased

____________________ who draws the loveliest art

____________________ who always shares and does his/her part

____________________ who is neat and never colors out of the lines

____________________ who always listens and never whines

____________________ who can jump for hours with his/her rope

____________________ who is great at cleaning up with soap

____________________ whose locker is organized and neat

____________________ whose skill at ____________ (sport) cannot be beat

____________________ who follows directions perfectly

____________________ who is polite and shows courtesy

____________________ who collects interesting and cool stuff

____________________ who is kind and never gruff

____________________ who easily gets the teacher off topic

____________________ who is the most wonderful comic

____________________ who is mindful and a great leader

____________________ who loves books and excels as a reader

The shy, the rowdy, the funny and the naughty

This is the group I will always care for strongly

Individual Students Poem

If you want to write personalized poems for all of the students in the class and make each one a special card, you can use these four basic poem templates. You can make small changes to fit each student's personality. These poems have a rhyme scheme of AABB, so the simplicity will make it easy to change up the words.

Poem for Reader

My book lover, my reader

______________ you are a lovely creature

Focusing on characters, conflict and plot

You love novels a lot

Poem for Strong Math Student

Addition, subtraction and division are your logic

___________________ your brain can be measured with a yardstick

Focusing on numbers, symbols, and factors

You love math and precise answers

Poem for an Athlete

Running, throwing and jumping are your body in motion

_____________________ your sports are what you have chosen

By focusing on balls, nets and equipment

Your love for sports becomes your commitment

Poem for Class Clown

Center of attention with all of your silly tales

______________________ your personality is as big as a whale

Your jokes are full of intelligence and whit

Your love for entertaining makes my sides split

Leaving a class can be a difficult time. However, making heartfelt cards with personalized poems for the class and/or individuals will make your last days special.