BCLA’s Capstone Celebration– Class of ’09

A lot of feelings came to mind upon return to the Boston Community Leadership Academy this morning and afternoon for this year’s capstone celebration event– the familiar walk from the parking place across the street to the front of the building (with Brighton High students already letting out), ringing the bell to get buzzed in by J. (the inimitable secretary of the school), and then the landscape of the first floor hallway… table set up for sign ins up front with two excited students, beyond them, the auditorium filling with students with their teachers guiding them in, and the pictures/quote wall with photos of the current seniors and selected passages from their 40 page papers. Hugs and handshakes from those it’s always so good to see, and brightening smiles from then-juniors and now graduating seniors, at that moment of recognition, of end (and beginning of next steps!) and celebration.

Great to see a good number of students from last year’s graduating class in support as well (facebook-invited, I was told!), V. looking the same but also grown from her first year at Tufts and her giant hug, A. and her normal adult-like self, L. and her big smile, happy after her first year of school in RI, and in the afternoon, the sheepish hellos of C. and T., observing the class of ’09 do their thing with props from the rising seniors in the class of ’10, undoubtedly thinking about their own days in that same auditorium a year earlier.

How wonderful to see the course you developed and taught for the past two years continue on with a life of its own…as guided and shaped by its new teachers and more broadly accepted by the staff and the students. Student comments during the afternoon feedback session were powerful (as they always are)… right there with those themes of an identity as activists, as individuals with voice and with the efficacy to do something about issues they care about and affect them, and with pride of being part of a class and school that believed in them and pushed them in those directions– to know and have an idea of who they want to be and how they want to relate to others around them.  Truly inspiring stuff… nicely bookended with a number of rising seniors saying they were truly impressed and looking forward to the experience, and V. with her cadence of the already-graduated and now continuing that path in college–encouraging, contextualizing and speaking her own truths… of her not seeing the people in the audience and in this graduating class adequately represented on her college campus, and as such, the campus losing out on their voices, their stories, their contributions.

It sounds cliched, perhaps, but isn’t this the promise of what public school is, could be and should be? The intersection of academic preparation, idealization and a sense of community, within the school and beyond?

Was really glad to be there to see it…and am heartened that it has become a central part of what BCLA is all about. I’m proud to have been, and to continue to be, part of it.  Congratulations BCLA class of 2009!