Dear McCall Parents and Caregivers,
This weekend was a celebratory one for my family. My daughter and first child joined many seniors across the country to from high school. We are proud of her and all her classmates who overcame so many obstacles during the last three years to get to this point. The graduation ceremony was particularly special for my wife. She was a special education teacher in the junior high that my daughter attended and taught some of the beaming young adults who walked across the stage Friday evening. It was almost like having my personal color commentator during the presentation of the diplomas as my wife whispered in my year comments like the following:
“That kid couldn’t even write a paragraph when I had him and now look at him heading off to UMass-Amherst.”
“She was so good at asking for help when she could not get her work done so she could help mom take care of her younger sisters – she so deserves the full scholarship to Gettysburg College”
“That kid is so awesome with the way he handled his dad’s death in 7th grade”
Although we did not have to manage the craziness of hybrid, remote, and the full return like last year, this year in many ways was much more challenging than 20-21. I know many of you came into this school year with the hope of having a normal year. I also know many of your dreams were dashed when this past winter showed us just how unrelenting this pandemic can be. Listening to my wife talk about some of these graduating seniors who struggled during their middle school years reminded me that the trajectory of a person’s development is never linear. It is made up of ebbs and flows and progressions and regressions. Those of us who had a difficult year should remember we all can bounce back if we are wise enough and courageous enough to self-reflect and make the necessary changes so we can do better. Just as Maya Angelou taught us when she wrote, “when you know better, do better”.
It is my hope that everyone - including students and McCall staff members - will take some time to reflect upon our school year during the summer. Whether your experience was positive or negative, you will find ways to learn from it and use that learning to make 22-23 a better year.
I wish you a great week!
James Lin
Principal
McCall Middle School
