Amidst the whorl and whirl of grading, examining, reading papers, dealing with excuses, preparing for graduation, and turning in grades, this is also the week we say our goodbyes to students. At several levels: Amidst the whorl and whirl of grading, examining, reading papers, dealing with excuses, preparing for graduation, and turning in grades, this is also the week we say our goodbyes to students. At several levels:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nTo graduates whom we will see sporadically and perhaps never again \u2014 sometimes this causes many of us grief. Sometimes you just wonder how the students are faring, and few know how delighted we are to hear from or see former students (even if we can\u2019t remember some names).
\nTo those who will return next year but who will go incognito all summer \u2014 working, ministering at camps, hanging out again with friends from high school but now different because each has changed in a year of fast development and maturation.
\nTo those in our classes who as the class moved forward became friends and the class became a family and the subject became clearer \u2014 and it is just too bad we couldn\u2019t do this longer and dig even deeper.
\nTo those students who, as has happened with me, eat lunch with me and who have become regular companions in life. My lunch group from this year agreed today, during our final lunch time of the year, to meet again next year \u2014 one student may adjust her schedule so it will work out. 11:30am, that\u2019s our time.
\nAt the center of our social lives, of course, is our family. Our family forms our central social stability<\/em>. But little groups, like lunch groups and classes, form a little less than stability: so let\u2019s call it a gentle consistency<\/em>. Not every day, not all the time, but often enough that we become friends.
\nTo each of you: thanks for being part of our school and my life this year. Blessings in your journey; may we meet again.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"