I stepped out of my car in front of Sequoia the other day and caught a whiff of something, well...intoxicating.  No, it wasn't what you may think considering I was in a high school parking lot post-passage of Prop. 64. No, it wasn't the fumes from the cars whizzing by on Brewster Avenue either.

That scent was freshly cut, verdant green grass.  I was compelled to take another deep breath, and a wave of memories came flooding into my head. New grass in Detroit where I grew up signaled the end of frigid winters and inspired the anticipation of summer -- riding bikes, swimming in the lake, and yes, mowing the lawn every Saturday a 9:00 AM, ugh!  My weekly lawn-care chore involved wheeling the hand mower out of the garage, checking for oil levels and filling up the gas tank, and yanking on that darn recoil starter handle (again and again) until the engine rumbled awake. The rest of the morning was spent pushing that mower back and forth and back and forth across the yard with marching band precision (prescribed by my dad) until that shaggy lawn looked like my kids after a visit to Super Cuts; clean and tidy!

 

There can be something wonderfully meditative about endless repetition of a task despite how monotonous or even mind-numbing that task is. And that repetition (dare I say, practice) can lead to amazing outcomes. Consider our Sequoia students... Anyone who attended the recent Dance Show or the Orchestra/Choir and Band Concerts can attest to the power of practice -- let's run that song one more time, please!  Our spring athletes who have spent hours on the baseball field hitting, throwing, catching (repeat as needed) or who swim length after length in the chilly waters demonstrate what practice can do. In classrooms our students who are asked every day by dedicated teachers to work and re-work a math problem or endlessly revise an essay can feel a real sense of pride when they finally "get it"!

 

In the life of a student, all this practice culminates with the yearly rite of passage -- the end of another school year.  For our seniors, they'll be moving on to life after Sequoia -- work, college, or university where more challenges and lots more practice awaits!  And for the rest of our students, it will be back to our beautiful campus in August to see friendly faces, meet new friends, and to smell that freshly cut grass.

 

But until then, we have 29 days left of school, IB tests, final exams and papers, celebrations and evaluations and graduations, and lots to do.  As happens every May and June, there will be lots of requests for parent help around school: 2017 Grad Week activities, teacher appreciation luncheon, textbook returns, and more.  All the support that we receive from our parents means so much to our students and staff and is VERY APPRECIATED!  So parents and students alike, let's roll up our sleeves and launch into these final weeks with positive thoughts and good energy and Sequoia's UNALIYI spirit.  I look forward to seeing you around school!