*All things A Ro: My Seniors

With AP's starting and the year zooming to a close I wanted to take a moment to give a big thank you for the seniors I have been blessed with this year. Three of my seniors have been such an integral part of my program. They have been the kind of kids I wish would never leave and I feel the need to write about them. Now I am not sure how they would feel about being in my blog so I'll change their names...

Ariel - Has been with me for three years, but you would have never known it. She came in her sophomore year ready to go. She is a talented singer and musician and I can count on her to sing any part I ask her to and do it really well. She is compassionate, kind, loyal, and dedicated. She is a very smart cookie and is oh so very busy, but still finds time to devote to her passion...singing. She is a leader and such an amazing person. I will miss her terribly. She is going to be a doctor. She is going to make me proud.

Melody - Has been with me for four years, but has been at the school since middle school. I enjoyed watching her sing as a middle schooler (before I was the middle school teacher) and was so blessed to have her in my HS choir. She is also a talented singer and musician. She never gives up...she is a go getter and works so very hard. My favorite thing about Melody was watching her grow as a person and singer over the years. She has come so far and I can't wait to see how far she has yet to go. She is going to work at Jerry's Deli (inside joke) and will be a superstar someday. Whatever she ends up doing she will be fabulous at it. I can't wait to see where life takes her.

Buddy (I hope he gets the reference) - Has also been with me for four years, and has also been at the school since middle school. I also enjoyed watching him sing and perform at the middle school level and cannot believe how much he has changed and grown in the last 6 years...geez I can't believe it has been that long...He is also someone I can count on to be a strong leader in his section. He always brings a smile to my face every time I see him and really loves to sing. He works hard and is so passionate about what he does. He is excited to learn and grow and takes direction very well. He is going to school close by so I am hopeful he will pop in from time to time to say hello. He wants to work in New York someday...and I hope he realizes that dream. I know he will learn so much in the process and be a better person because of it.

I always lament the day that the seniors will graduate and move on...and the better I know them the harder it is. I am so very confident that I have taught them more than just how to be good singers and I am sure that they will go onto the next thing with a feeling of belonging and support. I am a better person for having known them and I wish them all the best. I am always here for you...Melody, Buddy, and Ariel...and all the others who have walked through the doors of room 504...always.