Moments of: The Blog
The View From Here: A Changed View
This is the season when we are used to seeing the seniors sitting in the Adirondack chairs just outside the reception area, basking in the sweetness of the moment as well as their own views of “underclassmen” moving with purpose across the plaza on their way to exams. It’s not that our seniors don’t have exams or don’t take them seriously; they just have a slightly different feeling about them. By this time of year, decisions about college are usually made. Our seniors are aware that this very special time in their lives and in the year is drawing to a close, and they’re inclined to maximize every moment together.
I miss all of the usual end-of-year views and sounds of our life on campus: students picking up their projects from the art room or the studios, the lost and found items arrayed on the balcony overlooking the Jackson Banke outdoor amphitheater, the shrieks of delight when we surprise them with popsicles and ice cream on a hot day like the ones we’ve had this past week, even the little table with snacks for exams outside Cassandra’s office. By now, we would have cheered the closing weekend of the play, revelled in the Spring Concert, and honored our spring athletes for their accomplishments during the season. We would have been blown away by the full Concentration presentations, amazed at the depth of scholarship and commitment (even so, we loved the snippets we saw at Community Meeting on Wednesday, which left us wanting more).
The feeling in the air on the last day on campus is like a balloon about to pop or take off into the atmosphere, as we gather for the final Community Meeting, followed by… yearbook distribution! Even in the 21st century, the tactile experience of a hardbound yearbook with smooth shiny pages, inscribed with personal messages has not been replaced with a virtual facsimile. Signing of yearbooks takes place on the plaza, on the picnic tables, on the Adirondack chairs, on the steps. Students alternately call out to a friend to sign their book and get quiet while they find the right words to inscribe for another. The amazing students who have worked so hard on this year’s edition will present it during our final Community Meeting on Wednesday and students will receive their copy in the mail.
As we know, life on Zoom can feel flat while our students are bursting with life. I was on campus for a brief time last night, and it was like the flip side of Zoom: all the beautiful spaces and breathtaking views, but none of the vibrant hum of students skipping between buildings and the outbursts of unexpected laughter. But I paused for a moment of silence to listen to the wind blowing through the leaves, the distant thrum of the freeway, the birds talking to one another in the branches… and beneath it all I could hear the heartbeat of our school, our students, our alumni, our staffulty, all the people who make SA a living, breathing thing. Even though we are apart for these last few days, we are definitely still woven together.
Students, we want to celebrate your achievements, your hard work, the love and care you bring to our community and so wish we could do it in person. Please know that in our mind’s eye, you are all that we can see right now. In next week’s Courier and View From Here, the last of the year, we will celebrate our seniors, hopefully with a few pictures from the Awarding of Diplomas ceremony.
Sonoma Academy Is...
...the only private, independent, college preparatory high school in Sonoma County. On our beautiful campus nestled at the base of Taylor Mountain in Southeastern Santa Rosa, our students are able to explore their interests and passions in a rigorous and inspiring environment that develops a lifelong love of learning and prepares them for college and beyond.
Sonoma Academy admits students of any race, color, religion, ethnicity or national origin, citizenship, gender or gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, or disability, to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity or national origin, citizenship, gender or gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and tuition assistance programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
