Page 4 - Demo

ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT
COME RAIN, COME SHINE, THEY MOVE ON
When discussion started in the early part of the year about how to celebrate our graduates in the middle of a pandemic, 8th grade parents and students expressed an overwhelming preference for an in-person event. The search for the perfect outdoor venue did not take long as Wilmette’s Park District Wallace Bowl offered such a lovely view, close to school and right on the lakefront. But there is always the “what if’’ when planning outdoor events and like so many ups and downs over the year, our late May gathering was delayed by unseasonable 40 degree temperatures, sideways rain, and gale force winds.
As Head of School Robyn McCloud-Springer noted in her introductory remarks, “It may have felt like a fitting finale to a year of navigating ongoing storms and turbulence you just could not
control. I can confidently say, all of us here are inspired by all that
you accomplished, and the many ways you found to grow in these
challenging times.”
We waited for better weather and were pleasantly rewarded with a lovely evening on June 1, 2021. On a beautiful evening, in a serene setting, 7th and 8th grade students and families listened to the personal statements of our 19 graduates.
Robyn acknowledged the challenges of these strange times, “Some days, it may have taken all your energy and resilience to get up and do the next right thing. Other days were filled with laughter in your pods. We have seen you develop such deep friendships and find ways to bring laughter and compassion to most situations. We have seen you hurt, upset and eager to go and change the world.”
As always, it was worth the wait for these brief speeches, which are the heart of a Chiaravalle graduation. The humor, the emotion, and the gratitude were all there. So with the same flexibility and resilience needed to get through the school year, we sent our graduates off with Love, Safety, Kindness, Respect, Gratitude and Peace.
Chiaravalle Montessori · 425 Dempster Street Evanston, IL 60201 · 847.864.2190 · www.chiaravalle.org
TRADITIONS | DID YOU KNOW?
Since 1994, “The Tree Song” has been part of Chiaravalle graduation. Although the traditional choir of Lower Elementary students was not able to join us in 2021, the class of 2021 were among the voices in the 2013 recording played during the processional.
I’ve got roots growing down to the water, I’ve got leaves growing up to the sunshine, And the fruit that I bear is a sign of life in me. I am shade from the hot summer sun down,
I am nest for the birds of the heaven,
I’m becoming what the spirit of trees has meant me to be -
A strong, young tree.