Fare thee well! (#solTuesday)

Today is no ordinary Tuesday.

Today is the last Tuesday of the school year, our third-to-last teacher workday and, most importantly, the day of our eighth graders’ graduation ceremony.

Eighth Grade Graduation is a massive rite of passage. Tonight, thirteen poised and confident (and some, yes, a little sad) young people stood up in front of our school community of family and friends, and recited speeches that were composed from the heart and inspired by years of support and community.

I don’t know about you, but when I was exiting eighth grade, there is no freaking way that I would have gone up in front of my community, looked them all in the eyes, and eloquently addressed them – let alone thoughtfully (and publicly!) reflected on my academic, social, and emotional journeys that had shaped me since I was a kindergartener.

Having taught these graduating students way back when they were teeny first and second graders, I have been privileged to observe their journeys over the last six or seven years. This is a side benefit of working at a small school! What a treat it is to be able to bear witness to these young folk as they say good-bye to the formative years that they’ve spent with us in our idyllic school on the mesa, and happy state their proof that they are ready for the next big step: High School.

Good luck, graduates! You’ve earned it.