We didn't have eighth grade graduations when I was in junior high, errrr, middle school, but they do now. I know because we have one of those graduates living in our house.
The Daughter graduated from Vanguard on Thursday, June 7, as a member of the Junior National Honor Society. It was a bittersweet occasion of sorts, for our pride toward our daughter was balanced somewhat by the goodbyes to faculty, students, and even the building itself. We have all loved this school and their staff and would highly recommend it.
Graduation means that these classmates will be dispersed among many high schools in the area, and some of the kids are moving out of the area, as some who should have been a part of this evening have already. This group will never be all together in its entirity ever again. That was a point that began to hit home the next night, as everyone said their sad goodbyes for the summer upon returning from the eighth grade day trip to Cedar Point. I think many of them knew it inside, but I don't think anyone dared give voice to that fear, as if silence would prevent their separation from coming to pass.
I was sad, too, and I am just the dad. Such are the many fond memories over the nine years that I wanted to walk the hallways one more time. The names of principals and teachers will be remembered always for their contributions to our maturing daughter, who learned to play soccer and saxophone there, and developed her volleyball and writing skills, too.
I thought of elementary field days and the fun of watching Kindergarteners hopping through the sack race...of Joanne The Wife working the popcorn machine...field trips to the zoo in second grade and the "air zoo" in seventh...Mr. Dewey's nicknames for his kids ("Bookmark" for the boy seated between two Paiges)...the great fifth grade overnight excursion to Greenfield Village, my favorite field trip...artwork upon the walls..."What A Wonderful World" by the third grade in the morning assembly...wondering how the fifth grade band would ever develop into skilled players, and listening to them do so in three too-short years...hours of volleyball practices in which I tried to help out without messing anyone up too badly (and I hope I didn't)...the pride-filled graduation ceremony in the gym and the 4am until midnight Cedar Point trip the next day that ended in tears of farewell for so many toward so many.
I hope that the kids will one day, if not now, look back on these years as the same treasure that I do, with gratitude for the teachers who sought to do their best each day, with smiles and laughter over the fond memories of schoolmates, and appreciation for the experiences afforded to them by all who helped to make their middle school years possible.
Though she leaves the one school she has been in since Kindergarten, The Daughter and the greater part of her class will remain Vikings as they continue their education at a nearby high school. Her classes will include geometry, world history, band, biology, Spanish, and honors English. Of course, that all has to wait until after what will be, for her, a frenetic summer indeed.
Presently, she is in Kansas with two aunts, an uncle, a cousin, and my parents to visit my brother, his wife, and their four kids. When she returns, it will be a short week packed with five full days of volleyball camp before we leave for Word of Life Teens Involved in upstate NY for a week. She will start July slowly until three days of Freshman Band Orientation precedes a week on her second WOW Bike Trip beginning July 13. Our Saturday return on the 21st will allow precious little time for laundry before leaving for band camp at noon Sunday. After that week, she will have a volleyball camp before school tryouts (and hopefully practices) in mid-August interspersed among more band practices. After all, there are two home football games in need of a marching band before school even begins on the Tuesday after Labor Day.
As quickly as the past nine years have sped by, I cannot imagine the pace at which high school will one day become what her grade/middle school now is--a storehouse of memories, hopefully mostly good ones, and a launching pad to future endeavors.
Praise God for His goodness! Thank you Shannon, for being a great daughter. Thank you, too, Vanguard. I have loved every minute of it.
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