Grad Week 2017 - Part IV

Two years ago I helped put together our school's IB Senior Celebration with a committee of students. We met every month through the school year thinking up ideas and seeing them to fruition. It was a big project, but with another adult working the food portion of the evening I was able to do what I do best and work with the kids on the ceremony portion. It was a beautiful evening, but we were literally working even during the event to finish things.

This year when I again agreed to do guide the committee I stressed, and then stressed again, the need to jump quickly and complete early. I reminded the kids that IB exams would take up all of their time the entire month of May and that getting everything done prior to that month would be essential. They nodded and proceeded to do what kids, despite their rolling into adulthood, do. They ignored my advice.

Last week in the midst of exams, graduation day, my daughter's party, and visiting family, I had to crack the whip on putting the finishing touches on our Senior Celebration. There were a few teacher gifts that were still being completed, and the rest of the gifts were spread around several rooms in my house. While my family guests enjoyed each other's company and did tourist things around town and swam in my pool, I worked frantically and tried to remember to breathe.

As the first time, it all came together, but just like the first time we were working up to the last possible minute and then some. We arrived at the venue to find the room totally empty despite my email communication discussing decorating arrival times. This put us behind schedule, but giving props to the kids, they scattered and worked their butts off to get me what I needed to finish the speeches and the program. My co-adult hostess stepped up and did the errand running while I frantically typed, and we both made it to the venue 45 minutes before the event began.

This year we has parent volunteers along with the student volunteers which made a huge difference. These women stepped up and shooed us out of the kitchen and completely took over serving and cleaning up after the event. It was the best addition we had this year along with the pictures that one of our board members took and put online. I was able to relax and enjoy the evening.

The speakers were excellent, and the teachers loved their gifts. The slide show and video presentation had a few hiccups, but Madison was there to resolve those technical issues. It was a very nice evening and everything I hoped it would be as our final hurrah. Congratulations to the IB Class of 2017. May you all move on to do wonderful things to improve this world.