Friends,
I have what I call a “turning the corner” experience each school year. I begin noticing that students are taller and that they are moving through the space and speaking more confidently. Faculty and staff become very task-oriented as there is much to accomplish in terms of our learning and work before the end of the school year, and I find myself thinking more about about next school year than this current one. Some of my turning-the-corner moments are poignant as I realize a class of seniors will be graduating; some are filled with pride like when students share their class or extracurricular successes with me; and some have to do with things like more consistent weather for spring.
Next to this springtime quickening, the pace of the day and upcoming events like Senior Pancake Breakfast, graduation, middle school camp, and the last day of school challenge our attention. Yet, as I move through the hallways and into classrooms, I do not see any diminished rigor or vigor. In fact, in my own class, I notice more strong opinions, deeper connections, and a sharpened curiosity. This is energizing and focusing to my own tendency toward distraction at the end of the school year.
So turning the corner here at Crossroads is a different experience for me than in other schools. I am no longer surprised by this, and I find it to be a source of joy and wonder and challenge. I hope that it might be the same for you. I hope that the inertia of rounding the corner is inspiring to the final tasks and learning opportunities of the school year. I hope that having the end in sight is a reminder of all that we learned and did together that brings us here. And I hope ending in a similar way to how we would like to begin next school year is a powerful sustainer to our energy and to our (eventual) summer apart.
With great expectations,
Jason