On June 3 I had the honor of speaking at the Bridge View School graduation. It was so much fun! There were 12 very excited graduates, all decked out in caps, gowns and corsages. Parents, guardians and friends filled in the chairs. Teachers sat with their graduates or with the BVS chorus. I told the graduates how proud I was of them, how far they had come and how they would always be a part of the BVS family. No matter where their journeys take them, they will always be eagles. I told them a little about Boo Bear’s graduation. He graduated in 2020, in the beginning of the pandemic. It was a drive by graduation. We were told to meet in our front yard at a certain time on May 16. The first thing we saw was a big fire truck! Following it was a line of cars of all the faculty and staff and BVS. They had signs, streamers, and balloons. Teacher Sonia hopped out of her car, gave Boo a big hug, put him in his cap and gown, took a picture, gave him another hug and hopped back in her car. That was the 2020 graduation! It lasted all of 3 minutes. I told today’s graduates how happy I was that we got a little more time to celebrate them.
The students all began the ceremony by sitting in the front of the room. One by one they saw their family members and went to sit with them, on them, or under a handy chair. It became a game of hide and seek when it was time to hand out the diplomas. Not everyone wanted to come off a lap our out from under a chair. One by one Principal Lisa coaxed them out, gave them their well-earned diploma, and had their picture taken. Parents beamed and there was not a dry eye in the house. At the end of the ceremony the graduates recessed out to a party on the patio. I went home. It was a wonderful morning. I am so happy I was asked to speak to the grads and their parents. These students, families, and teachers have worked so hard for so many years, it is lovely to congratulate them. If you are ever having a down day, I suggest you drop by BVS. That school radiates good energy and good will. You cannnot walk inside that building without feeling one hundred times better. I am so grateful to the staff at BSV for working with and believing in these young people. Truly, this school and faculty is one in a million. Boo Bear still has his class of 2020 BVS Eagles yard sign in his room. He is very proud of it. I am very proud of our graduates. Fly high, eagles, fly high.
Harriet's Hedgehogs and Autism Advocacy 