Let There Be Sun!

The weather finally, finally opened up...on the last full day of school. We've got sunshine and blue skies and believe it or not, warmer temperatures. Whew! We thought for certain that summer got lost and we'd never, ever see it.

But finally it's here and with one day (well, half a day) left, we move the girls onto their 6th grade year. Some of them will be staying at SGS and others will be moving on. New girls will join this class next year. And over the summer, all the girls will continue to grow and change. It's been fun to be a part of their education, but also of their lives on so many other levels.

We wish all of you a gloriously relaxing summer and we hope you find time in your busy schedules to really enjoy each other. This has been a wonderful group of girls and we're so very grateful we spent this past year with them. Thank you.

Now get out there and enjoy the summer. It may not be here for very long!

Ms. GreNini

Moving Up

Well, the summer weather seems to have gotten lost on its way around the world, so our plan to hold the moving up ceremony at Powell-Barnett Park has been changed to the 8th grade lab at SGS. The 8th graders will have moved on so the teachers have generously allowed us the use of their large classroom. This should provide us with ample space to spread out, eat some fine food, and celebrate the end of the year.

Your daughters should have given you an invitation they designed for the Moving Up Ceremony, but somehow we imagine those invitations didn't make it all the way home (perhaps they're out there with the warm, summer weather!).

So here are the details:

When: Thursday, June 12 from 11:00-1:00
Where: Seattle Girls' School 8th Grade Lab
What to Bring: If you daughter's last name begins with
A-M Please bring a Main Dish
N-Z Please bring a salad, bread, and/or chips
We'll supply plates, cups, utensils, beverages, and DESSERT!

We know that it's difficult to attend events in the middle of a work day, but if you can break away for awhile, that would be wonderful. If not, we completely understand.

We hope to see you there! Even more so, we really hope it's sunny out. Regardless, we will be in the 8th grade lab!

Ms. GreNini

What You Find

Julia holds up a snake's skin she found buried under rocks at Silk Purse Farm.

The last two weeks of school are always a whirlwind of "finishes"... finishing up the math packet, finishing up a poem, finishing up growing up...well, for now anyway. Last week, we ventured to Peggy's farm to work again with her horses, but unlike our trip at the beginning of the year, this trip was much more a summation of the changes we've all been through during our year together.

As Julia's picture illustrates, what you find when you really look are often amazing surprises. We asked the girls to reflect on their growth during the year and then, while they worked with Peggy, to focus on that growth and their goals for the future. They wrote letters to Peggy who reported to us (since we promised we wouldn't read them) how amazing and insightful their words were. At the end of the session, we asked the girls to write one word that best described their growth for the year. From that word they wrote a poem that illustrated this growth and titled the poem with the word they chose. We now have a stack of amazing poems with titles such as "confidence," "unique," "wise," and "proud."

We're very proud of all the growth each and every girl has made this year. They have grown as students and as people, but in turn, they have taught us many, many things...too many to list, but lessons we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

They've taught us patience.
They've taught us to hope in the face of fear.
They've taught us that when your frustrated, it's best to laugh at yourself...just a little bit.
They've taught us that there is not failure, only an opportunity to try again.
They've taught us that there's nothing so miserable that good cup of cocoa cannot overcome.
They've taught us to take care of the earth they will soon inherit.
They've taught us to care about each other even if you struggle with the other because someday you may need them.
They've taught us to look inside and find out our motivation in life.
They've taught us to be silly.
They've taught us to be serious.
They've taught us to model the behavior we expect.
They've taught US to be stewards, to take responsibility for our choices, to feel compassion no matter how painful it can be, and most importantly, to take action when we perceive injustice.

When you spend a lot of time together, working as a community, the road may some days be bumpy, but it can also be rewarding despite the challenges. In fact, it's amazing what you find inside yourself and inside others when you face challenges together. It is truly amazing what you find.