We’ve been showered lately. Not with spring rains bringing relief from rising temperatures, but with gifts of kindness and generosity. Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and it felt like a birthday or holiday season. I was touched by the sweet gifts, messages, and cards I received from many of our parents, and I’m not even in the classroom. I didn’t expect anything, given that I’m in the office now, so the gestures of appreciation were a pleasant surprise. All of it reminded me why I keep doing the work I do.
This time of year always stirs up an array of emotions. There’s enthusiasm for finishing up projects and bringing big studies to fruition. Excitement is in the air anticipating summer days ahead and sadness that these will be the last few days at Awakening Seed for many of our families. As I sat with individual 3rd/4th graders on Wednesday, helping them publish their final poems of the year, it was a moment of reflection on each child’s growth over time at the Seed. I thought of their parents, entrusting their precious young child to our care over many years, believing in us to give them the foundation for the rest of their school lives and beyond. It’s hard for us to let go of these beautiful children, and I’m certain there’s a parallel feeling for parents, witnessing their child reach yet another milestone. It’s a time of celebration, joyfulness, sadness, and often a bit of grieving.
When we reach the end of each school year, we hope we’ve done everything necessary to sufficiently prepare each student for the next stage of his or her life. We also hope we’ve adequately supported our parents for their journey ahead. For most of our families, there will still be time at the Seed to practice skills necessary for success in life. For the ones leaving, it’s a big step into the unknown for both the student and parents.
As I was writing this yesterday, there was a pause in my process to meet with a colleague and former Seed parent about an upcoming collaborative project. Her sons, both Seed grads, are in their late 20s and early 30s and having successful adult lives. Although we were meeting about our project, she had much to say about the Seed’s influence on her sons’ lives. She also added how much the Seed influenced their lives as parents.
In the end, raising conscious future stewards of the planet is a team approach between teachers and parents. We’ll all in this together. We will continue this work for as long as we’re able. As a staff, we thank you, the parents of our students, for the honor and privilege of this work. Hopefully, in years to come, our current parents will look back at their child’s Seed experience with the same appreciation as my colleague had yesterday. And we hope, if you need us, you’ll feel free to ask for our assistance as you move forward in your unfolding journey as parents.