Welcome to ISW’s closing ceremonies. It’s good to be together to call an official end to the school year.
As always, we have many people to thank tonight. First, many thanks to my wonderful husband, Bob McDonald. Therapist, pack mule, truck driver, and strategist, you are my rock.
Thank you to the ISW Board. No Head of School has ever been blessed with a harder working more supportive Board than I have. Boardies, your tireless work on behalf of the children in front of us today and those who haven’t yet been born yet is greatly appreciated.
Meghan, you have been our Director of Operations for two years, and we can’t wait to see what you do for your next act as Campus Dean and Director of Marketing and Development.
Teachers, please stand and receive our well-earned applause. You are the heart of ISW. Thank you for your dedication and tireless work on behalf of our wonderful students!
Parents, on behalf of the staff at ISW, we thank you for trusting us with your children and supporting everything our community sets out to accomplish. Without your endless support, from teaching to driving, from arranging for amazing speakers to standing on the playground during recess, we couldn’t function.
And finally, students, it’s really all about you! Thank you for a lovely year! Thank you for making it a pleasure to come to work every day. Thank you for teaching everyone in our community and for staying so engaged in the learning process.
As you students know, we have a closing tradition: the ABCs of ISW. Here is this year’s version. And I must say, this is always a bit of a Dr. Seuss-ish tongue twister.
A is for Azzy, Avery, Anna, Andrew, and the Ames kids (two of them, a Kate and a Ryan), Ms. Angie, Ms. Alisa, Annie Jr., Art, American Sign Language, and awards—which are plentiful here despite the small size of our school.
B is for Mr. Ben, Mr. Bob, Mr. Brendan, Dr. Bryan, Ms. Becky, Ms. Brigitte, and our favorite food, Bacon.
C is for Charlotte, CeCee, Ms. Christy, Ms. Christina, Ms. Carmen, Ms. Claire, Camping with the High Schoolers, CATs, Clues and Blues, and Caught Ya’.
D is for Mr. Dave, Ms. Donna Day, Ms. Devon, Ms. Dunia, Ms. Dee, Ms. Diana, Disaster Man, and Destination Imagination.
E is for Eli, Emma, two Elizabeth Graces, an Elizabeth Loring, and an Elizabeth Williams, and of course, oh Middle Schoolers, Evita.
F is for Ms. Faith, 44 field trips, free dress days, 4H Ropes Course, Footloose, and FAME.
G is for Garrison.
H is for the High School, tiny but mighty (like its students), Huzzah! (our new student-run production company), and Hamilton—the student-kind, named Isaac, AND the musical.
I is for Ms. Ingrid, the Independent in ISW and the Imagination in DI.
J is for Jordan, James, Jake, Joe, Josh, and Jack, and Ms. Jessica, Mr. John, and Mr. Jeremiah.
K is for Katrin and Katherine, and two Khans—one large, one medium–Ms. Katie, two Ms. Kerrys, Ms. Kristin, and Ms. Kate.
L is for Lia, Liana, Lucas, Ms. Lenore, Ms. Lisa, Ms. Lorna, Ms. Liz, Laptops, Leif Ericson, Lords and Ladies, long division, and Landers—small, medium and large.
M is for two MJs (a McGowan and a McDonald), two Mayas, a Maddex, a Mason, and a Miranda, and a Madison, Ms. Meredith, Mr. Matt, Mr. Mark, Mr. Mike, Michele Elliott, our dear Ms. Michelle, Monday Morning Meetings, and Milestone Projects.
N is for Nicholas, Nature, Ms. Noelle, Ms. Nichole, and the National Mythology Exam (and let me just say that every Middle Schooler who took it medaled!)
O is for Open Mic Nights and “Oh, Ms. Katie, Ms. Becky, Ms. LaTasha, I can’t find my homework!”
P is for Ms. Pam, Pajama Day, planners, Performing Arts, Phantom of the Opera, and Poetry Panels—three of them.
R is for Rena, Rita, Ms. Rebecca, and rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals.
Q is for quiet, which is in short supply at ISW.
S is for two Sadies (a T and a W), Skyler, Sofia, Sydney, Ms. Sarah, Ms. Saba, Ms. Susan, Spanish, the Smithsonian, snow, and summer.
T is for Thatcher, Ms. Theresa, Ms. Trish, Mr. Tim, Ms. Tasha and Ms. Tosha, Thanksgiving, and Thriller flash mobs.
Uh-oh, school is cancelled again.
V is for Valentine’s Day and two Viners, or four Viners, or six.
W is for Warren and one Watterworth who became a Whitlock.
X is for xenocryst, a crystal foreign to the igneous rock in which it occurs. There’s a sneak peek at Geology for you rising juniors!
Y is for our beautiful yearbook, the YDC, and four letter words the start with Y and end with A, like yoga and Yona.
Z is for Zarak, ziplines, and my wish that throughout the summer, you all know when to zig and when to zag.