The Superintendent's Blog

May is a whirlwind of celebration. I am so proud of the growth our students have made. From handing out awards at honors nights to watching our athletes participate in state competitions, seeing the culmination of a year’s worth of work is the best.

Tomorrow is the biggest day of them all. We look forward to honoring 1,748 new Millard graduates and cheering them on their way. We are ready - in fact, graduation is well under way. Strange as it may seem, we've already celebrated four graduations.

The first was a few weeks back. An amazing 140 students of the Millard South Early College Program walked across the stage at Metro Community College to receive their associate's degree. It boggles my mind that our students can earn their college degree before their high school degree.

The next two graduations were especially meaningful for me, and for our teachers and staff. We never make it through them with dry eyes. They are our Young Adult Program and Project Search. Both programs provide transition services to young adults ages 18 to 21 who qualify for certain Special Education services, and the students’ stories are amazing representations of growth and development.

We also recognized 22 seniors at Keith Lutz Horizon High School on Thursday, our school of choice for students seeking additional support while earning their diploma. The beautiful weather gave them an opportunity to hold their commencement outside.

We have had such a positive year. As you celebrate the last bell and a well-deserved break, congratulations! It will be good to enjoy some time to recharge.

Before I sign off for the summer, I wanted to pass along one more observation. I said watching students celebrate is the best. That’s true, but it’s also very special watching the teachers and parents of students. Throughout this week seniors have returned to their elementary schools for graduation walks.

We caught up with some and asked them to help us with a video by recalling some of their favorite teachers and staff. A bunch of seniors crowded around the camera and started a spontaneous and animated conversation about everyone who has helped them along the way. It was amazing. But the best part was turning around and seeing that we aren’t the only ones capturing the moment. So were the parents… and many of them were crying.

Our thirteen-year journey with your child is a partnership in every way, and we are so glad to be here for these moments. Thank you for inviting us along. Have a wonderful summer!