50p
A Lifers' Toast To the Staff
The following was delivered at the Lifers’ Dinner in late May, 2020.
I will be talking about three things today. Our transition into online learning, the friendships that have been formed, and the hard work our teachers have done for us.
First, let me start off my thanks by pointing out the incredible job our teachers have done for us in the last couple of months. Dealing with us on campus is already challenging enough, but adding the complexity of our newfound online learning environment brings a whole new set of challenges. It takes a truly special group of people to come together and work, providing us the means to graduate as a class.
Secondly, over the last 4 or 5 years, everyone here has formed bonds with teachers, RFAs and Houseparents which have shaped us to be the individuals we are today. They have watched us grow from young teenagers to young adults. It has been through their dedication, forgiveness, and compassion that we find ourselves going out into the world with the skills to become leaders of tomorrow.
And finally, I would like to thank the teachers directly. Thank you for your hard work, thank you for your countless hours designing challenging classes, and thank you for realizing the potential in each and every one of us. You have striven to ensure all of your students make progress in their growth – with some of the results being immediate, when he or she has that “ah-ha” moment and wraps their head around the lesson. But much more of your impact will happen in the long haul, in ways that we aren’t yet aware of.
So thank you. For allowing us to graduate, building our character from the bottom up, and continuously striving to help us.
Thomas Lapsley, Rogers ‘20
First, let me start off my thanks by pointing out the incredible job our teachers have done for us in the last couple of months. Dealing with us on campus is already challenging enough, but adding the complexity of our newfound online learning environment brings a whole new set of challenges. It takes a truly special group of people to come together and work, providing us the means to graduate as a class.
Secondly, over the last 4 or 5 years, everyone here has formed bonds with teachers, RFAs and Houseparents which have shaped us to be the individuals we are today. They have watched us grow from young teenagers to young adults. It has been through their dedication, forgiveness, and compassion that we find ourselves going out into the world with the skills to become leaders of tomorrow.
And finally, I would like to thank the teachers directly. Thank you for your hard work, thank you for your countless hours designing challenging classes, and thank you for realizing the potential in each and every one of us. You have striven to ensure all of your students make progress in their growth – with some of the results being immediate, when he or she has that “ah-ha” moment and wraps their head around the lesson. But much more of your impact will happen in the long haul, in ways that we aren’t yet aware of.
So thank you. For allowing us to graduate, building our character from the bottom up, and continuously striving to help us.
Thomas Lapsley, Rogers ‘20