Esteemed Elders' Day

Remarks by John DeMarchi

Welcome to Evergreen School and Esteemed Elders’ Day.

This is a special event in a special year.  Soon we will be celebrating our 50thanniversary. The school was formally chartered in December 1964.

That means that our first group of students are just about 55 years old now– just old enough to be grandparents now.  Unfortunately, the school’s records from the early years haven’t been preserved.  So we don’t know the names of our first students.  We haven’t been able to find our first graduates and find out if any of them are grandparents.

So let me check… did anyone grandparents here go to Evergreen School in the early 60’s?

I wasn’t expecting any yesses.  Because it’s just really hard to believe that little children can actually grow into grandparents. Can you imagine that long after you and I are gone, that our students– Anna or Cole, Lucy, Neyla or any others could possibly sit where you are one day, watching their very own grandchildren?

Our hearts say “impossible” but our brains know that everything grows.  That is the name of one of our un-official school anthems by Raffi:

Everything grows and grows

Babies do

Animals too

Everything grows

That’s how it goes…

We know our children grow. And this is Evergreen’s mission.  Preparing our children to take our place. Giving them the skills and the tools to lead meaningful lives of achievement, to be loving moms and dads and grandmoms and granddads, and pass on their love. To leave the world a better place.

I want to thank you for coming today, for being an active part in these children’s lives and for giving them your love. They will pass it on.

Enjoy!