Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I vividly remember the scene: A large auditorium, a sea of children and families, and a ceremony that opened with piano music – not quite Pomp and Circumstance, but heart-stirring, nonetheless. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched a group of 4-year-olds – including my daughter Chenda – graduate from pre-K. In the scheme of life-cycle celebrations it was a relatively minor event, but for me (20 years ago now) it seemed like an important transition.
The word “commencement” is often seen as the end of something, but – as we all know – it also always queues up the start of something else. For my daughter, the end of pre-K meant the start of her K-12 educational journey, which has since led her through college and into the workforce. At every stage I felt that same blend of exuberant celebration as one stage ended, and wary anticipation as the next one began. I’ve come to accept that this is part of my job as a parent.
By the end of this month, thousands of students across Massachusetts and around the country will have walked across a stage of some sort, and into their next life chapter – whether it be kindergarten, middle school, college, career, military, community service, or something else entirely. It is thanks to the hard work and commitment of educators like each of you that they are able to move forward with the skills and mindsets necessary to face the road ahead.
And of course, commencement isn’t just for students – it’s for educators too. As this academic year concludes, some will cross a different type of stage as they move into another role, another school or another community. Some will retire (like two of our stalwart and cherished ECLC colleagues in Beverly), some will leave the field to seek their professional growth elsewhere. These are not endings, they are new beginnings, and we wish all those who are transitioning out of Essex County the best – we’ll miss you! And to those who are just arriving: Welcome. We look forward to getting to know you.
At Power of Place we are experiencing our own new beginning as we welcome The Teacher Collaborative into our organization. To support this growth and our combined work to support educators, we learned this month that we are the fortunate recipients of a generous new grant from the Barr Foundation. Thanks to this new partnership and these resources, we have big plans for the year ahead – stay tuned.
With all of you, we commence a journey that we hope will bring joy, meaning, and substantive learning to educators across Massachusetts – in service of the young people whose dreams we want to help realize.
With warmth and deep appreciation,
Jane
Read the full newsletter here.