Graduations

Fair warning - this is a long post. Just remember that my blog also functions as my journal.

----

School lets out for summer today, and the graduation fun begins!

High School Graduation

My former students are graduating from the same high school I graduated from. (Look closely - see the horse on the top of the shield?)

My class was a two year class, and when you are together that long, you become very close. (I cried buckets when they moved on the middle school!) Every year some kiddos chose to stay in touch and so I have received several  graduation  announcements and party invitations.

Garrett, a two instrument musician, who now towers well above me at 6'4".

Several years after he left my class, he invited me to attend his Bar Mitzvah at the local synagogue, Temple Israel. 

It was a beautiful ceremony and an honor to be there. That Torah that Garrett is holding was hidden from the Nazis during World War II and then smuggled out of Europe and brought to the United States, landing here in West Lafayette. It is brought out for special occasions like this one.

Ryan, a kind and caring girl in 4th and 5th grade and still today.

Ryan attended my church so not only did she see her teacher on weekdays, she had to see me on Sundays, too! Some kids wouldn't like that, but she never seemed to mind.

Sophia, a horse lover like me. We both enjoyed that connection.

Sophia and her partners with a STEM project - designing a watershed to stop erosion.

Jadyn, an athlete then and now.

Cooking marshmallows in the solar oven she and Gracie designed and showing their reading buddy how it worked. (It did, too. We made s'mores with those ovens the kids designed!)

Carter, an awesome baseball player. I let him have the first turn at our end of the year piñata, and he whacked it so hard with the bat that it launched across the schoolyard scattering candy as it flew! (And with screaming and laughing kids chasing it!)

Carter and Greyson showing me that their solar oven had worked and that their s'mores were delicious.

Carter also invited me to his Eagle Court of Honor. 

University Graduations

I also have students graduating from college.

MacKenna was a horsey girl who invited me out to watch her ride when she was in my classroom. Her older brother Aiden (who is in medical school now) was also in my class. Both of them were great kids to teach.

MacKenna as a fourth grader visiting Abby along with Mya, another horsey girl in my class.

And later in high school riding her own horse in a competition.

Sophie just graduated from Emory University and is headed to Africa to do mission work. Her brother Ben (behind her) was also in my class.

They were part of a group of formers who surprised me with a party when I retired.

Sophie (red dress) caroling to Mr. Scrooge (Beach Son Kyle) at our "Happy New Year, Mr. Scrooge" party.

Katy, who we all called "Katybug," just graduated from Butler University.

Sophie, me, and Katybug at Sophie's high school graduation party.

Albert. One of the deepest thinkers I have ever taught.

A very spiritual young man, he played The Most Reverend Albert Moss, Archbishop of Canterbury, who came to congratulate Mr. Scrooge on his change to a kinder, gentler man. Born during the attacks on September 11, 2001, I think of him every year on that day. I remind myself that not everything that happened that terrible day was awful.

Jessica. One of seven children, she loved that I had a big family, too, and understood what that could be like.

Jessica dropped in to see me on the last day of school a year or so before I retired.

Lilly.  A bright light in the class every single day.

Lilly is now a meteorologist and sometimes I see her giving the weather report when I watch the local news !

Jessica, Sophie, Katybug, Albert, and Lilly at the surprise retirement party they organized for me in 2018.

Well done, formers and best of luck as you move on to the next phase in your lives! I am so very proud of you.

Love,

Mrs. I.

----

Second post of the day is coming if I can manage it. Hawkeye Sarah and her family are coming in for a visit today and I have a doctor's appointment this morning. We shall see but...

Stay 'tooned!