What's the Difference?

I don't even know what to write for a title here... I know, two posts in one day, but I'm on release and I had two separate things to talk about, and I did pick figs from my tree and take them to dad (he was super happy, even though the resident in the next room at the rest home calls out "help me, help me, help me!" continuously for about 10 hours a day) and I got grocery shopping (very boring shopping now we are free of salicylates, dairy, wheat, soy, nightshades, lactose, citrus, the list goes on, as well as being vegan by choice) - but I refuse to give up peanut butter and sriracha sauce because it's not my food allergies, I'm just being a super supportive wife, and if celery is about the most exciting thing on the list (I hated celery like forever) I'm going to dip it in peanut butter and sriracha because it's actually pretty nice like that! This whole food allergy/intolerance is like so time consuming, I'm trying to come up with creative ways to prepare dinner with a seriously small amount of safe foods. Being vegan is not limiting, I've been vegetarian all my life, and switching to vegan was simple as I didn't like milk or eggs anyway, but this... this is a challenge, and I miss tofu! And nuts!
Enough about that, now I am home and I have to write something about appraisal goals and I've been thinking about the whole motivation/engagement thing and this is what I think.
It depends on the children. If I compare my class from last year to this year, I can already see the difference. I'm as enthusiastic as I've always been, but my class are just so unbelievably into all learning and challenges that I am absolutely amazed.
For example, last year I was shown a new (old) game during a Maths PD day. I was excited, I went back to school and re created the game, cut out all the little pieces and introduced it to my class, who were not at all interested. I think there were about 4 children who asked to play it again after they had been practically forced to play it the first time! This year, I had to make 3 extra copies, and whenever they have the chance, they ask to play it!
Writing is another example, when you have a class that cheers, "yay!" when it's time for writing, children who love maths problem solving so much that they will work on a problem for a whole session, then refuse to be given even a tiny hint because they are going to work on it at home when time runs out in class, children who use their initiative and take next steps in learning during Mantle without me having to give them any direction, this is a motivated group of children!
Even Jump Jam is done with enthusiasm, more so than last year, and they know I put my everything into this (being slightly challenged with coordination and having no sense of rhythm - they know I concentrate very hard and count all the moves, but I am enthusiastic) they do too!
So what is it about this lot that is different to last year?
I have the same types of activities, the same passion for growth mindset, maths, literacy and Mantle, (the same lack of passion for P.E but they've not yet noticed this as we are still swimming every day), we do visual art, sometimes linked with other areas like maths and sometimes exploring different techniques or media, most weeks, as I have always done in the past. I have the same expectations and I get excited about learning. The children see this, so how come one group can be so different from the next?
I thought maybe it was because of what they have done in the past, but that doesn't work in theory because they've all come from the same teachers prior to me. I thought maybe it was to do with growth mindset kind of filtering its way up through the years? It isn't their beginning levels when they get to me, I usually have the majority of the class at or above in most areas, and the few that need support really are a tiny minority group!
My conclusion is that it is the children, I'm just not sure how! Or why. Perhaps by the end of the year I will have figured this one out.

See! This is what they chose to do! A game that last year nobody was even remotely interested in! Look at them... doesn't it just make you feel all happy inside?  :)