The end of every school year is filled with a swirl of emotions. The air is filled with the joy of students ready to dive into the excitement of summer, the anxious anticipation of seniors taking their next step into the unfamiliar and the hope-filled sighs of teachers looking forward to a time of rejuvenation. Surrounded by all that, I find my heart captured by a melancholy that isn’t easy to shake.

For teachers, education can feel like an endless line of goodbyes. A teacher can be likened to a bridge. A bridge allows travelers to cross from where they are onto areas nearer their destinations. All the while it provides support, asks for nothing in return and is unable to journey on with its travelers. The teacher, in the same way, must facilitate the crossing of his or her students from where they are to places closer to their potential, not merely as students, but also as people. All the while they provide support and ask nothing in return. The only reward is the joy of seeing those they have loved for a short while find their dreams. I am thankful for the amazing teachers we have at FRCS that are doing just that for our students.

I am blessed to have been in education for a long time. Of the thousands of students whom I have taught over the years, there are only a few that I had the privilege to see or hear of how their lives turned out. For the rest the “goodbye” at the end of the last school year was just that, a goodbye. I often wonder as I play back the faces, conversations and names how they are doing and if the time in my classroom made a real difference in their lives. After 40-plus years in education, the line of goodbyes is getting long.

As this school year comes to a close I would ask you to reflect back on your time as a student. Is there a teacher or teachers who made a difference in your life? Is there one who comes up in conversation with family and friends as you share stories of your youth? If the answer is yes, then I encourage you to find a way to reach out to them and let them know. Tell them the impact they had, how you are doing, and what you hope for and in. Take the time to cut into the line of goodbyes with a reminder of why they do what they do. It will bring them joy to hear from one they taught and loved well.