June is a month mixed with many emotions. Students are excited about their upcoming summer vacation. Staff are working their way through report cards and year end activities. Some staff are transferring to new schools or into new assignments. Our grade eight students are looking forward to their graduation ceremony and final moments in their elementary school.

As administrators, we are going through the same range of emotions and for some of us, we are excited about a change in the fall ~ a new school, a new assignment or retirement. Last week, we attended our final Principals Community of Schools meeting and several of us will not be returning in the fall, so we were entertained by a number of “Good-byes”. Donna Walker’s analogy of a good-bye was truly beautiful. I will try my best to paraphrase what she said.

 I want you all to close your eyes and think about your favourite book. Think about those characters, whom you’ve followed through their storylines. You know who they love, what they like to do and their dreams for the future. Now think about the setting. Whether it is a sandy beach, a rocky mountain, a quiet river or a exciting urban location, you can see the colours and smell the smells. Now, think about the plot. You remember the opening scene, the problems the characters encountered, the climax and the last moments.

 Saying good-bye is like closing the final page on your favourite book. You don’t want those characters to go away. You want to experience more stories with them, go to more exotic locations and live through more challenges with them, but you can’t.

Life is about closing one book and getting ready to open a new one, with new characters, different settings and other story lines.

 Thanks for being a part of my favourite book.