Middle School: May 18-22, 2026

Hello, Middle School Families,

Thank you a million times over for the generous end-of-year gifts and thought cards and words. Your support and partnership throughout the year has been instrumental to the success of the year. This class has brought me so much joy, collectively and individually. What a special group of students; I will miss being their lead teacher! Whether you are graduating and moving on to new adventures, or here next year in Middle School, know that I will be cheering every one of them on next year!

What a full last week of school! We kicked off the week with the presentation of our class play: “Harry Rings: Lord of the Potters”. The class did a spectacular job and should be so proud of themselves. The students really kicked it up a notch for the evening performance, relishing in the laughs they got from family and friends. Showcasing a parody of characters combining two worlds they are familiar with turned out to be such fun!

Tuesday brought field day, sun, games, water and lots of fun! In the morning, students participated in “dry” cooperative games and a little bit of fun competition with the 4th and 5th grade. After lunch when the sun started to really warm up, water games ensued! This was the first hot field day we have had in a long time, and the students were so happy to get wet! Water games were really fun, but ultimately devolved (happily!) into a big water fight. All were soaked!

The last day of school began with the “Great Walkthrough”. In all the grades, each student laid out their main lesson books on desks. Our Middle Schoolers started off looking at the First Grade main lesson books, reminiscing about their own first grade Main Lesson books. This was such a meaningful experience, especially for our graduating Eighth Graders, who were able to take a moment and look at the books from First through Fifth Grade. They remembered the stories, using block crayons, the drawings, learning their multiplication tables, etc.

We finished the day with a final class meeting. We did a recapitulation of the year, going backwards in time, starting from the most recent event. This is a traditional Waldorf review, and a wonderful way for us to reminisce about the various memories from the year. After doing our closing verse one final time, we packed up and headed out to the picnic tables.

We gathered on the playground, forming a circle together with all of the grade students, to sing The Garden School song. Then, in a lovely full circle moment, just as the Eighth Graders helped the rising Kindergartners cross the bridge to First Grade by presenting a rose, the First Graders presented a rose to the Eighth Graders to symbolize their exit from The Garden School into High School.

The week closed with the Eighth Grade Graduation - a truly beautiful and, at the same time, bittersweet celebration of our four graduates. Listening to our graduates give their speeches, I was so proud and amazed at how well they all spoke, clearly showing how ready they are for this next chapter in their lives. Waldorf graduations go through a recapitulation of their years, giving gratitude to the teachers who have taught them, and revisiting some of their most memorable circle verses and songs. It was a joyful, tearful, beautiful celebration of their eight years (or more!) at The Garden School. I was also similarly touched by how many fellow classmates came to see the graduation and share in this joy.

It was truly a wonderful way to wrap up the end of their time here at The Garden School, surrounded by the community that helped support them on their journey.

And for one final time, I say with the utmost sincerity in my heart, thank you for the honor of teaching your children.

Announcements & Reminders: