Graduations and New Beginnings

2013-2014

Jackson graduated from Wood Gormley Elementary School in May 2014 and was presented with the Presidential Award for Educational Achievement! It was a great way to recognize his hard work, his commitment, and how far he has come. Congratulations, Jackson!

He is now headed to Monte Del Sol, a 7th-12th grade charter school with lottery admissions. The down side is that none of his friends got into the school. The up side is that Simon did his student teaching there so he knows a lot of the teachers, the students and the general culture. In many ways, the emphasis on community and the relaxed culture is a good fit for Jackson. Everyone is called by his/her first name, including the principle who is not called the principle but rather the "Head Learner", reflecting a co-learning environment. Much of the first week of school is spent in grade-level field trips, helping students to get to know each other, bond, and create a community. They also connect with the greater community through a mentorship program that I actually participated in last year, mentoring two Monte students in bioinformatics. I'm glad that Jackson I will be part of that program.

After student teaching at Monte, Simon also graduated with his teaching certificate in December of 2013. Congratulations, Simon! When Jackson got into the school that Simon had student taught in and where he might eventually apply for a job, his response was classic. "Simon might teach at Monte and you know what that means! Craziness!"