So last night, the Science Leadership Academy Home and School Association threw the first huge fundraising night in our history. In a true collaboration between home and school, the school had a silent auction last night which raised a sizable chunk of money, but just as importantly, brought over 150 parents, teachers and friends together for an evening to celebrate and support SLA.

It is on nights like last night when you can see the power of a school community. Our Home and School parents were incredible — the auction was a monster. It took hours and hours and hours to pull together, and I know there were moments of trepidation and frustration as no one knew if we could really pull this off. And the teachers and students created some amazing Advisory baskets that added a great flair to the night. And the end result was incredible. Not only did we have a great financial night, but it was a great chance for teachers and parents (and grandparents) to talk to each other and celebrate all that we have accomplished in our time together. We also had a couple of tables of student work so parents could see what the money we were raising goes to, and it is amazing to compile a cross-curricular pile of work and really see the imaginative and powerful and thoughtful work that kids do at SLA.

And for senior parents, it was also a time to recognize that our time together is approaching an end… some students have already gotten into college, and we were able to celebrate that. Other (most) parents are still playing the waiting game, and we shared the anxiety of that whole process. But overall, what we shared is a sense of a four-year journey together. It’s one of the joys of a small school — you know the families… you’ve been with them… through good and bad… and therefore impending graduation is both a very happy and a little bit sad thought. We even had talk of an alumni association as several parents told me they weren’t quite ready to let go of the school yet.

In the end, it was a wonderful night, and this blog post is in part a recognition of the amazing community of SLA teachers and families, and a huge thank you to everyone who made the night happen, and an even bigger thank you to everyone who has contributed to making SLA a place I look forward to going to every single day. It is a wonderful community, and I am privileged and thankful to be a part of it.