Graduation week 2012

The Winslow High School class of '12 graduated  last week, on a Wednesday, but the whole week leading up to the actual day is one big 'festival' in itself....there is Baccalaureate service on the Sunday before...then there is class night on that Monday, and there are tons of rehearsal events, etc, all culminating towards the big day on Wednesday night at Colby College.

Below is a photo from class night--many of these students I also taught as freshmen, and it is so amazing to see how they have grown! Syney, the girl directly in back/center will be attending THEEEE University of New Hampshire in the fall.

I know a lot of these pictures were on Facebook, but I am an optimist to think that some people still read this 'old fashioned' blog and dont get all their 'news' from Facebook (kind of like a real book vs Ebook demographic....). So that is why I am posting these here.....

At class night, there is a big banquet dinner, followed by the monetary and non monetary awards. Gifts are given out, slideshows are shown, and superlatives are awarded. The class asked me to 'award' the superlatives to students--everything from MOST LIKELY TO BE PRESIDENT to MOST GULLIBLE to MOST LIKELY TO OWN 20 CATS SOMEDAY....I had fun. In fact,  I, and fellow founding father Jezsin, were superlative award winners at OAHS back in 96....I was most dependable, and he was best sense of humor. Today, Jezsin is still one of the funniest people I know, and I can always' depend' on people to be upset/not speaking to me.....

For the eighth year in a row, I was asked to both write and perform a class song. This year, like last year, I made a "funny" song, at the request of the students. I called the song 'Hall Stories,' and it was geared around the premise that, although one learns a lot INSIDE the classroom walls, there are equally important things to be learned OUTSIDE (in the halls, for example). The song was a potpourri of inside jokes celebrating the nuances of the class of 2012 experience. From left to right on the stage at Colby college are principal, Vice Principal, Supt, Asst Supt., yours truly, Lori, and stayoffmywave Dave (Lori and Dave delivered the speech together....)

Getting ready to perform my song for the masses......

Okay I will say it: I really really miss this class already; life without them will be very difficult. In eleven years of teaching, this was, without doubt, the finest group of individuals I have taught.

112% of the rest of the schools in New England are out for the summer (probably as of yesterday). Winslow is famous throughout the USA for being one of the last schools to get out....our last day (teacher workshop) is Monday.