The perfect number 7 & a square. What do these 2 share?

This has been an amazing week filled with what I have come to respect as the "standard" challenges associated education. I must admit, I thought that a lesson plan was a solid structure that would sustain time, as well as the trials and struggles associated with the work week. I am learning to respect flexibility and the durability of change. This past week in my school system consisted of four days, secondary to the flood of 2009. The various grade levels have missed portions of classes because of outdoor excursions. I have also noticed that when those students return to class, they appear exhausted and distracted. I have experienced a challenge maintaining the student focus in a classroom of 33 students. I was in the process of changing the class delivery method in my largest class when there appeared an angel at the door. She announced that she was part of the counseling staff at the high school and was here to "level" the class to the state required maximum. During her visit, she asked for volunteers. I experienced mixed emotions as the students made decisions on which way to go. I must admit that I felt a wave of relief for those students that volunteered to leave the class because the subject matter was more difficult than anticipated. I also felt a comfort as I heard several student state "this is my favorite class and I'm not leaving". So, what does the perfect number 7 have in common with a square? I can now place all of the students into 7 perfect groups of 4. We have spent a significant amount of time defining group function and I have witnessed great group activity in smaller classes. I am very excited about this renewed opportunity and I am anxious to see how this will work in this class next week.