Images of the graduating 8th graders as second graders at the Larkin Campus in Old Monterey.
Reece & Andrew
After the infamous Writing100
It is a milestone for the International School of Monterey (ISM), with the graduation of the first class of children who entered as Kinders nine years ago. I know many of the kids and their families well, having been their teacher in grades 2, 3 and 6. Grades 2 and 3 were particularly memorable for me, when we were located at the Larkin Campus, in a historic area of Old Monterey. I had carte blanche to develop project/place-based, inquiry/understanding-centered units, with the community engagement and financial support to back it up. The students were recognized as exceptional from a young age -- smart, innovative/clever, warm and fun.
Their graduation this week was also a symbol that ISM had moved into a new stage of its growth and maturation. No longer is the school a good idea in its infancy/adolescence; ISM is now an established program. Like its graduating class, the school enters young adulthood. Given the political milieu, with abysmal funding, in a state on the verge of financial collapse, ISM putts along, fueled in part by parent contributions of time, enthusiasm, and cash.
The graduation ceremony was excellent, just what it needed to be, setting a new standard for future classes. Speeches by Neeli, Zoe, Cristian and Eliya were spot on. Cudos to Marie, Lisa, Richard, and all involved.
MAOS (the Monterey Academy for the Oceanographic Sciences) is receiving 20+ ISMers next year, and becomes, in effect, a secondary satellite campus of the International School. I've heard that our students (I still count myself in as part of the community) have already raised the bar for admissions.
With the graduation of this class, ISM has become, for me, a relatively unfamiliar place. While I did work with a handful of entering grade 8s as 3rd graders, I know few others, save a smattering of siblings. My hope is that ISM continues to embrace the marine sciences, and the plethora of cutting-edge marine-related resources on the Peninsula, combining with and deepening its international mission. It's a natural fit.
Congratulations to the graduating class.
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1 comment:
... the end of an era and the beginning of a long diaspora...
In the words of Margaret Mead, "Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has."
It's now time for the "baby-boomers" to take the easy chair and learn to become observers.
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