'Nado Graduation

Carbonado 8th Grade Graduation is everything that is right in education. As an educator myself, I can tell you, stop writing your books and selling your strategies all you administrators out there, come visit 'Nado Graduation and you'll know what it's all about. I could speak a million and a half words and you wouldn't get it. But I'll try anyway. There are on average about 22 kids per class at this K-8 school. That is 22 ish in the entire 8th grade! My youngest son's class has 13. 13! The teachers at this school give these kids such an incredible send off that I (the guy that has a camera glued to his face at all times) forget that I have a camera in my hands and get lost in the moments. This is such a personal experience to every student and teacher, I can't even begin to explain...tears, pride, happiness...it's really good stuff. The students are recognized on multiple levels, the whole town shows up to celebrate. The pics here: student with happy pride to be recognized, student and teacher singing a duet that the student composed, and watching a slideshow. I can't possibly tell all the moments here, there are too many. Small school, teachers that go the extra mile, and a ceremony that no cynisist or bean counter has managed yet to shut down. It's simple and doesn't require a post bacheloriate. Half the graduating class went to a late night dinner with the teachers after this. Read the last line again. Good night.