One Year in One Picture

On Friday, April 24th, I went to prom. I had neither a date nor a bowtie, and I showed up well past what would be considered fashionably late, but I went to prom. The last time I went to prom was 26 years ago. My hair was darker then, and, from what I remember, my life was consumed with the ending of high school and the many pieces of impending adulthood that needed to be assembled. I have the privilege of age and experience these days, which has also afforded me the time to reflect. I was an 18 year old senior in the spring of 1989, so in that regard, going to prom seemed like old hat. I’ve lived it, and thought I knew all about its symbols and traditions. I was wrong. 

I entered the reception hall with about an hour left in prom just as the king and queen were being announced. After the crowns were placed and hugs were finished, the DJ played a song for the court. It’s a scene played out thousands of times each year across the county, and it felt right. I enjoyed the moment, wondering if the thoughts in the heads of our students matched mine from so many years ago. My reminiscing was interrupted by the DJ asking for the entire junior class on the dance floor. They walked out and circled, arms around each other, for an entire song. This was followed by the senior class. I tried to take a picture with my phone but distance and lighting gave me a poor result. The image, however, stays with me. Fortunately, resident photographer Mr. Seward was on hand and captured it for all of us.

 

 

If I had to distill my first year as superintendent down to one picture, this would be it.  Around that senior circle I saw fight songs and drama productions.  I saw hot summer days at band camp and letterman jackets shuffling to school on cold January mornings.  I saw mentors to Grandview students and volunteers in the community.  I saw second and third generation Tigers interlocked with newcomers.  I saw the fragility of life and the strength of steel.  Mostly though, I saw togetherness and inclusion. 

Looking back over the last 10 months, I now notice the circle, both literally and metaphorically.  I met with this same senior class back in September in an attempt to get to know them.  They told me about their school and community and their dreams for the future.  I asked them for advice and what they expected from me as their new superintendent.  They asked me to be present and support them, to talk with them and to listen to their stories.  What I didn’t understand at the time was that they were inviting me into the circle. 

There is a soulful intimacy about Bellevue Schools that is difficult to define.  The generosity and empathy displayed by our students and staff permeates my reflection of this school year and is so aptly captured by Mr. Seward’s picture.  On Friday, April 24^th, I went to prom.  I wasn’t named prom king in 1989, and 26 years later I lost again, but it surely doesn’t feel like it.