Graduation of the Class of 2024
June 28, 2024 by
June 28, 2024 by
There were more than a few tears as the forty one members of MILTON’s class of 2024 crossed the stage to accept their diplomas. A self-declared “Covid Class” they had gone into lockdown as fourth graders, continued in hybrid Mifgashim schooling in fifth grade, and took their first steps into adolescence just as our community emerged from social isolation.
Many students spoke of this experience in their reflections at graduation. Each student chose an artifact that represented their time at MILTON and many chose to honor the bonds they’d forged during this time.
“I chose a Covid mask to symbolize a great challenge that we needed to overcome…My Covid years at this school portray how the MILTON community stands up to setbacks and how we power through, even when times are difficult,” Jack G. shared.
“We are the Fifth Grade Covid class,” Zecharyah F. declared. He went on to say, “It didn’t matter that Covid was shutting the world down for multiple years, because Bretton Woods helped us; it guided us through a difficult time.”
Rivi H. shared, “During Covid, I learned that I really needed to appreciate things that I usually took for granted.”
“Mifgashim was a hybrid learning method between learning in person and virtual,” David F. explained. He reflected, “I feel like Mifgashim was a really fun experience at a time where options for learning were limited.”
Eliot L. said, “Many of us eighth graders here today absolutely cherish that time of enriched learning and the experiences stemming from it.”
Other students focused upon earlier moments in their MILTON journey.
Dahlia G. enthused, “From the state project, I learned that learning can be fun and interesting. I really appreciate that MILTON tries to engage students and provides opportunities to have different learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. But what I also learned is that even in classes and situations that are not interesting to a student, they can still find something that they think is worth learning and find something to use as motivation.”
Gabriella S. still marvels at a birthday box full of messages she received in Kindergarten, “MILTON had gotten a group of barely literate five-year-olds to write to me the nicest words I had ever seen. I was floored by the unexpected kindness and thoughtfulness of my new community.”
Hannah J. reminisced about building an elephant in Pre-K with her classmates, “Working as a team together with the other students in my class helped me to build relationships with them, as well as make friends that I still have to this day. I also learned the importance of helping others.”
Sophia D. treasures the Chanukiah she made in Kindergarten, saying “Every Chanukah we use this chanukiah…it represents all the times at MILTON that I did something related to Judaism that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Others spoke of trips and projects in middle school after school had returned to normal.
Aaron W. learned perseverance during the Mishkan project when grappling with a sewing machine, “My first few attempts ended in failure, and I could not keep the line straight or was not able to finish it properly. This was very discouraging for me..but I persevered and eventually I could sew the two seams together alright. I gave this project everything that I had, and it taught me a thing or two.”
“Teva gave me a new perspective on how learning can be done outside the classroom,” Flora Z. shared about the outdoor education trip.
Aaron N. remembered how their bus developed a flat tire on the way to New York in seventh grade, “At the end of the day, looking at the day, almost nothing went as we thought at first, but it wasn’t bad…MILTON can take in bad situations and return positive memories.”
Many students, their families, and their teachers became nostalgic as they reflected upon their journey at MILTON. Sammy R.’s poetic reflection captured the feeling of many at graduation:
“When it is your graduating year at MILTON you feel that every person is a speck of sand, and that when put together makes up a beautiful beach. In other words, every person has an important part in the community and with the absence of one student, it falls apart. Sadly this is my last year at MILTON and my last year being with the entire community together. These deep relationships will remain with me for the rest of my life, thanks to MILTON’s support for the community.”
After reading their reflections, students received their diplomas, and then processed through a tunnel of smiling MILTON educators and into their bright and promising futures.
Please follow the links below to see more about MILTON’s graduating class of 2024:
Photos By Jeff Mauritzen
