Skip to main content

Leadership Banquet

My leadership students, their families, and I just celebrated the school year tonight with a banquet. We began with dinner, which was followed by speeches from our student council president and three leadership students. We then watched an imovie that highlighted the year's events, which was followed by what at least some thought was the best part of the evening. Eighth-grade students took the stage for a candle-lighting ceremony. After they lined up along the front of the stage, I lit the candle of one student. She then lit the candle of the next student, and so on until all candles were lit. Seventh-grade students then took the stage and the eighth-grade students turned to light their candles. Thereafter, one of the two emcees explained the symbolism behind the ceremony, and as seventh grade stepped forward to take the front of the stage, eighth grade stepped back and blew out their candles. It symbolized a passage of leadership from the current eighth-grade students to next year's eighth-grade students.

After the ceremony, we presented awards to each student. The horrible part is that we did not include one seventh-grade student, so I opened a PowerPoint presentation with the certificate we chose and wrote ""Most Flexible and Forgiving" and displayed it for the audience. We then recognized this student, and everyone applauded.

After the students in both grades received their rewards, we thanked the audience and ended by watching our self-made Harlem Shake video. I got the impression that the night was a success, and that the class enjoyed the year.

Although the busyness of the year is by no means over, student and teacher alike do see the end. I'm proud to say that this realization has reminded me of the overall success of the year, both academically and socially.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ghosts

Exercising at a gym seems to be pretty important in our culture, but it's kind of weird to see the social dynamics when you're there. Usually, if you're running an errand, you see others doing the same thing, going about their days and focusing on what's in front of them. The same thing happens at the gym, only everyone is relatively stationary. They don't really go anywhere, except from one machine or area to another. One might think this lends itself to lots of interaction between members, especially since they're all there for the same purpose, but it isn't true. Not only do people generally avoid talking to one another, but they also avoid even looking at one another. It is as though there is no one else there, even though there are dozens on any given day. Most people follow this unwritten rule, unless something in the environment-- say, two people wanting to use the same set of weights-- gives them common ground to interact, or unless they've alr...
2 comments
Read more

Savior

This wasteland cold and dark runs free Its fearful creatures speak to me One fateful day one nudged my hand To set my eyes upon a tree He knew I could not understand For I was in his native land His signs became our common speech To lead me through the deadly sand Now stuck I saw him me beseech He could not lift me out to reach The firm foundation of a cave Outside the boundaries of this beach Withal, the beast became more brave To risk his own my life to save To carry me, its life it gave To carry me, its life it gave. This poem was inspired by Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." That poem, like this one, has four four-line stanzas of eight syllables per stanza. Its rhyme scheme is AABA BBCB CCDC DDDD.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Nice Guy Fallacy

I read part of a poem recently by one of my favorite poets. It reads: I envy not in any moods The captive void of noble rage The linnet born within the cage That never knew the summer woods. I envy not the beast that takes His license in the field of time Unfetter'd by the sense of crime To whom a conscience never wakes. Nor what may call itself as bles't The heart that never plighted troth But stagnates in the weeds of sloth Nor any want-begotten rest. I hold it true, whate'er befall I feel it, when I sorrow most 'Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all. At base, Tennyson contrasted a life of risk, and consequent pain, with one of security. He sides conclusively with the life of risk, and says he fails to envy those who have faced no hardship. I agree with him; and, for good or ill, his words are just as relevant today as they were in the nineteenth century. Like then, there are those today who choose to live their lives with as little risk as...
2 comments
Read more