8th Grade Graduation Ceremony

Yo yo~

So I never got to share a ceremony I went to even before our S.F. trip.
In fact it was one week ago today!

And that was the CWS 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony.
(I was still in the midst of the Student Exodus move-out effort, hence the delay in posting about it)

The program involved touching speeches, impressive displays of musical prowess, and lovely artwork by the very talented Kayley :)

I don't recall my own "graduation" from middle school into high school being all that memorable or celebrated, but I suppose that since CWS only goes as high as 8th grade and entering 9th grade also means leaving the Waldorf education system, it really is a bigger deal.

Look at this cake! It was mammoth and the slices they divvied out to folks were super generous~!

I attended the CWS 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony for three very special 8th graders in my life:

1) Jack-san!

His 8th Grade Mentor Program display and other works throughout the year.
So beautiful!

I've been tutoring Jack-san in Japanese for two years now (wow!!) and was his 8th Grade Mentor too! The Waldorf mentorship program entails a student choosing some professional to shadow and learn from over the course of the year in whatever field interests them. I was so honored that Jack-san wished to learn about the inner workings of Japanese translation through my own career. :) He really is a bright kid and I hope we can continue his studies for as long as possible!

2) Maggie-san!

Her table and wall art to showcase a taste of all that she's accomplished this year :)

I've also been tutoring Maggie-san this year, and she is such a treat! She's enthusiastic about languages and the interesting nuances of both English and Japanese. And she also enjoys anime!! Her mentorship focus was on illustration and I was happy to hook her up with the very talented Zach Starker to be her mentor in that field.

3) Kayley!

Her mentor taught her all about falconry and I believe she's well on her way to being a real professional in the field!

Kayley, as you may recall, was Ella's 8th Grade buddy this year, and just an all around cool gal. She strikes me as being extremely mature for her age, and having experienced a lot in her young age. I know that this was her first year in a Waldorf school, that she's passionate about birds, that she's a talented artist, and that she's even a budding musician...but I look forward to hopefully learning more about her. I've just always felt this instant connection with her -- like her honesty and style always clicked with me.

Aaanyway, I'm happy that all three of them will be going to CHS for their high school career so that I can see them even more regularly (hopefully! :D )

Oh, and I just talk a little about the Ceremony itself, don't you think?

First off, the faculty sang a rendition of "Stand By Me" that had me nearly bawling because it was so touching.

Really, the whole atmosphere was that of bittersweet good-byes, pride in these young adults, and you could tell that the bond that the students and teachers form is strong.

The graduating students got to perform musically (with instruments and voices) and both solo and as a group. And they also shared memorable moments of their time with their classmates.

 It was was again very reaffirming as to what kinds of people the Waldorf education system helps to mold: confident, talented, respectable and capable young adults.

I really hope I get to mentor someone again in next year's 8th grade class because it's a great feeling to know that you are maybe shaping this kid's perspective on some given field of expertise. And it's nice to form that friendship you get from spending so much time with them, working on learning a skill like that. :)

Congratulations, Graduates!
And good luck in high school!!

Teeny tiny class of six kiddos ;)

Well, until next time: thanks for stopping by, take care, and Happy 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony!!