Farewell Letter to My Seniors

 June 2, 2021

Dear Students,

Well, my friends--you have made it.  This was a year literally unlike any other for all of us.  There was so much we needed to adjust to and recalibrate, again and again, as the year progressed.  Some of us thrived in this new way of doing school, but for many it has been difficult to readjust to our new way of education during the time of the pandemic.  We didn’t always do things the best way, even despite our best intentions. Students and teachers alike made mistakes and had to give ourselves grace for our learning curves. (I think giving ourselves grace and giving others grace might be the most important lesson of all this year.)  For all of us, it probably looked like we were ducks skimming across the pond--seemingly calm and placid on the surface, but kicking furiously and somewhat chaotically below where no one else could see.  Nevertheless, you rose to the challenge and persevered, and I am so very proud of you.  There are many experiences you may feel you missed out on during this senior year, but probably the biggest experience was just the day-to-day social interaction among classmates and between teachers and students.  Trust me when I say that your teachers also missed that interaction dearly.  I missed not getting to see your faces and build an in-person community together throughout the year.  Regardless, we were a community, albeit an online one.  That did not make any of you less important or appreciated in our class.  I value the time I got to spend with each and every one of you.

As we close on this year, I want to offer my sincere congratulations and best wishes for all your future endeavors.   I want you to know you have all made an impact on me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have taught you (Yes, you—even those of you thinking to yourself, “She probably doesn’t mean me.”  All of you.)  This may not have been your favorite class, or maybe it was.  Regardless, your presence, your insights, and your personalities were all a  part of what made this year a unique and memorable one.  Even through a small screen, I could see your hearts clearly.  You are all amazing human beings with so many possibilities ahead of you.  I hope you trust yourselves to reach out and take advantage of those opportunities ahead, and I hope that you continue to cultivate and foster those friendships and relationships that will be your safety nets when you fall short of your goals.  And you will fall short sometimes--but you will survive.  I know this because you have survived every unknown thrown at you this year. You will recalibrate. You will redouble your efforts. You might even change course.  That’s what growth looks like--finding the path you were meant to travel.  I hope you travel that path with all its twists and turns with joy, with passion, and with kindness to yourselves and those you encounter along the way. 

I wanted to take this time and opportunity to thank you for your contributions and your work, but most especially for the personality you brought that helped shape the community of our classroom.  I wish you success in whatever way you define it, and more importantly, I wish you happiness.  I know I have played this song for you before in class, but I wanted to give you the lyrics as well, as I feel this is pretty appropriate for the occasion; I hope you find the sincerity of the message, from my heart to yours.

Here’s the link to the video.  Watch it--it will make you smile!--and then come back and read the lyrics.  This is what I wish for you always…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFkTu8Y1KLs

 

Have It All—Jason Mraz

May you have auspiciousness and causes of success
May you have the confidence to always do your best
May you take no effort in your being generous
Sharing what you can, nothing more nothing less

May you know the meaning of the word happiness
May you always lead from the beating in your chest
May you be treated like an esteemed guest
May you get your rest, may you catch your breath

May the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows (wohoh)
May the road less paved be the road that you follow (wohoh)

Well, here's to the hearts that you're gonna break
Here's to the lives that you're gonna change
Here's to the infinite possible ways to love you
I want you to have it

Here's to the good times we're gonna have
You don't need money, you got free pass
Here's to the fact that I'll be sad without you
I want you to have it all

Ohh! I want you to have it all
I want you to have it (all)
I want you to have it all

May you be as fascinating as a slap bracelet
May you keep the chaos and the clutter off your desk
May you have unquestionable health and less stress
Having no possessions though immeasurable wealth

May you get a gold star on your next test
May your educated guesses always be correct
And may you win prizes, shining like diamonds
May you really own it each moment to the next

May the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows (wohoh)
May the road less paved be the road that you follow (wohoh)

Well, here's to the hearts that you're gonna break
Here's to the lives that you're gonna change
Here's to the infinite possible ways to love you
I want you to have it

Here's to the good times we're gonna have
You don't need money, you got free pass
Here's to the fact that I'll be sad without you
I want you to have it all

Ohh! I want you to have it all
I want you to have it
I want you to have it all

Oh ho! I want you to have it
Oh ho! All you can imagine
Oh ho! No matter what your path is
If you believe it then anything can happen

Go go go! Raise your glasses!
Go go go! You can have iiiiiiit all!

I toast you!

I want you to have it all.

 

            Come back and visit every now and again, send me an email, or catch up with me via social media  (FB, Twitter, Instagram).  I would love to keep in touch with you as you head off on to the next chapter of your book.  May you write your dreams into the story of your life.

                                                            With love,

                                                            Ms. Lutjens

 

Life Reimagined-At Least for Awhile

March 17, 2020

Dear Students,

I want you to know I miss you already--I really do.  I know when most of you heard we might be shutting down the school for a bit, you might have been excited.  You might have loved the idea of getting a little bit of an extra 'vacation'.  Trust me when I say that many of your teachers were right there with you.  And yet...

I know many of you were also a little concerned.  Some of you were worried about the COVID-19 virus and were wondering if we were going overboard, or if maybe, just maybe, this was something that was bigger and scarier than we were really willing to wrap our brains around.  You might have been worried about your parents or grandparents, or other loved ones who are immuno-compromised.  And some of you were worried that the other stuff you were worried about might seem petty and small in light of the bigger crisis going on around the world right now.

You know what?  You have every right to be worried about both the global pandemic AND whether or not your senior prom or your graduation might be postponed.  Those are perfectly valid feelings.  Honestly, just last week I was talking to some of you, saying that I really didn't think those things would be affected, but if you've even watched a snippet of the news in the past week, you know that things are changing rapidly, hour by hour even, and the honest truth is that we just don't know.  The adults in your life, charged with offering you both guidance and structure, simply don't know.  Trust me when I say, though, that we are doing our best and are trying to be flexible with the influx of information so that we can best provide for you.

I've always cringed when people--even people in the world of education--talk about what happens in 'the real world', as opposed to what happens in school.  ("Well, in the real world, if you did that...")  But I have always thought that was a belittling, narrow view of things.  Your real world is whatever time and space you're inhabiting at a given time, and therefore the world of high school is no less real than the world of someone who earns a paycheck at a nine-to-five job.  High school is the real world for you right now, and that comes with certain expectations and norms for you.  It comes with work and stress and deadlines, of course, but it also comes with dreams of prom and graduation ceremonies and other senior activities, and from seeing your friends every day.  It comes with expectations of relationships you've formed through the daily interaction with your teachers and your classmates.  It comes with an understanding of a system you've been engaged with for 12 years now.  For some of you, it may come with the safety of stability or food that may be lacking at home.  And losing that--not knowing how long it will last--can be incredibly disconcerting to many of us.  A vacation means we know what we're going back to at the end of a specific time period, but this uncertainty in the world right now means we don't, in fact, know what--or when--we'll be going back to our 'real world'.

So, yes, it's perfectly normal to spend some time worrying about the 'what ifs' and 'what will happens', but try not to live there.  Look forward with hope and flexibility and creativity.  At school, we are working toward making sure you can access learning and services you need for however long that needs to happen.  Roll with the changes, know that it's not going to be a perfect process right away, and also know that that's okay!  There will be a learning curve for all of us, and we will need to be able to grant each other grace.  Aside from school, though, there are lots of things we can do as we proceed through this ever-changing environment.  Of course, practice good hand-washing and social distancing, as has been recommended by, you know, EVERYONE.  But also, Facetime your friends who bring you joy, help out your parents around the house (who are also stressed, by the way),  sing, create art, read--a lot!--and write, even if it's just a journal for yourself.  Binge-watch your favorite TV shows, or watch that movie you've been meaning to watch on Netflix.  Stream a yoga class online, or even sign up for an online dance class you can attend from your living room.  Send goofy Snapchats to your friends.  Try cooking a new recipe you've always wanted to try--tell your family you'll be the cook for the night!  It's all about balance, and finding joy in doing things at home, either alone or digitally together, in order to maintain our peace of mind and positivity while doing what we can to slow the spread of the virus within our community.

In the next few days, we'll all have a clearer idea what online learning will look like for us, at least in the short term.  Will we know how long we'll be there?  Probably not.  That's okay.  We'll take it one step at a time, and we'll be flexible as we re-invent our real world, for however long we'll live in this particular time and space for education.  Feel free to ask questions, and I'll be honest enough to let you know when I don't know the answers, but know that we're in it together.  I miss your smiling faces, and I'm excited to get back to the business of what we do: learning together and building each other up within our classroom community.  Whether we're sitting next to one another in a building or we're supporting each other through the online world, what we do best is helping each other grow and connect and learn from one another's perspectives.  This new 'real world' won't change any of that for us.

See you soon,
Ms. L

Words of Wisdom for My Seniors

June 7, 2015

I've never been a big fan of telling kids about how things are going to be in the 'real world'. Everyone's experience IS their real world, including students in high school.  Of course, as my students are getting ready to graduate and embark on a new 'real world', I have a few words of wisdom to share:

--There is a lot of positivity in the world. There is also a lot of negativity.  Be one who sends out positivity. The world already has enough negativity-you don't need to add to it. Tip the scales in the right direction.

--You will see what you look for in the world.  Look for good, and you'll find it.

--At the same time, don't bury your head in the sand.  There IS negative in the world. Learn to recognize it and change it if you can or walk away if you can't.

--We all have our gifts, and everyone has something to contribute. If you haven't found your gifts yet, keep looking.  Let those gifts lead you to your passion in life.

--Surround yourself with the people who will become your tribe.  Your tribe is the people who are your family for life--the ones who are there to celebrate your successes and who pick you up and dust you off when you hit the lows in your life.  Family means family of the heart--your chosen family.  No one is a solitary success. We are all supported by our tribe. Know who they are for you, and acknowledge their role in in your life--often and wholeheartedly.

--I don't care if you think you are the smartest person in the room.  Heck, I don't even care if you ARE the smartest person in the room. EVERYONE has more to learn, and you'll be amazed by the people you can learn something from if you don't let your ego get in the way of hearing others. Once you think you've learned all you can learn, you've really stopped learning to live.

--Make good choices.  Think about consequences. Everyone has freedom of choice, but you aren't free from the consequences of your actions. Consider carefully the trajectory of your behaviors.  Naturally, however, sometimes we DON'T make good choices--we all make mistakes.  Own your mistakes. Apologize for your mistakes. Learn from your mistakes. Then move on. When others make mistakes, allow the same for them.

--Thinking about consequences doesn't mean play it safe. It may sound counterintuitive, but take chances. Step outside your comfort zone. Try new things. Travel. Learn new skills. Meet new people. Those are experiences that can broaden your horizons and open new doors. They can help you become more of the YOU you will become.

--Be nice to people--even mean people.  The way you respond to others says way more about you than the way others treat you.  Don't give someone else the power to control your attitude.  That being said, don't enable someone to treat you poorly. If you haven't been able to show them how to treat you with respect through your attitude, walk away holding your head high. You are only responsible for your own behaviors, not anyone else's. Does everyone deserve 'nice' all the time? Perhaps not. But YOU deserve to expect that of yourself.

--To be respectful and to respect someone are not the same thing. There's a very important difference. You are in charge of being respectful to others; they are in charge of being worthy of respect. You do not have to respect everyone, but you should always be respectful. Respectful behavior need not be 'earned', as it is a commentary on you, not them.

--Be generous.  Be generous of time, of money, of spirit.  There are people who have less than you.  We should help others when we can because we SHOULD.  Our mission in life is to lift up others when possible because it makes us ALL better for it.

--Give others the benefit of a doubt.  We cannot know everyone's backstory. If someone's backstory has led them to negativity and ill will, how can it possibly benefit anyone to counter it with more of the same?

--Laugh. Love. Be silly. Find people who will do those things with you. Look for people who love you for who you are, and encourage you to be your best self.

--Above all, be open to all the possibilities your new 'real world' will bring.  I wish you all the love, experience, and opportunity you can find out in that world.

--Mama Lutjens

Descriptive Writing Exercise

March 26, 2012

My students are working on descriptive writing right now. I asked them all to come up with very simple sentences. I collected them and then redistributed them at random. Kids had to come up with creative and descriptive replacements for the simple sentences. Some of my favorites were these:



The boy ran.

The naked boy quickly ran across the cold highway to escape the wrath of his girlfriend's father. Oh, seniors...one wonders sometimes how much of this comes from actual life experience. I'm not sure I want to know.

The puppy barked.

The chocolate brown puppy barked excitedly at the little girl when she opened the lid to the box he was in on Christmas morning. Aw...how adorable!

The monkey climbed.

The hairless, rabid, rabies-infested monkey climbed to the very top of the palm tree while being chased by Animal Control. When I was a kid, I wanted a pet monkey. Not this kind, though. This monkey is the kind they use in horror movies.

I feel dumb.

I immediately feel dumb after I put all my laundry in the freezer after I was specifically told not to do that again. This one is so random, and probably my favorite. Makes me wonder if this kid has ever, in real life, put his laundry in the freezer. At the very least, I'll bet there were inexplicable 'science experiements' in his home growing up. He probably makes his mom's life very interesting.

I'm tired.

A week of late nights, venti Starbucks coffees, and an overdue thesis has transformed me into a zombie, yet instead of brains, I merely desire the embrace of a deep rest. I have a feeling many of my kids could relate to this one, especially around finals time.

I hate Jim.

Jim needs to be boiled in his own gravy as he slowly realized that I hate his living guts because he likes to do the conga. Poor Jim. The sacrifices one makes for the love of the dance...

A Magical Night Under the Stars

May 4, 2011

Brianna looked so beautiful on the night of Prom. She had a beautiful dress, a knock-out smile, and lots of great friends to make the evening one to remember. She went with Simone, who was also beautiful as always. The two of them, along with several other couples, had dinner at Simone's home before their limo picked them up to transport them to Holland Park West, a lovely outdoor garden venue.

I chaperoned Prom this year, so I got to see them all there and take some pictures. Luckily, someone was looking out for me, so I didn't have the dreaded dance floor duty--I just got to check the kids in at the entrance and take lots of pictures!


Austin, Mallory, Simone, Bree, Kyle, Lena, Katie, Alyssa, Berto, and Nicole
Simone and Bree

Austin and Bree--friends since second grade, all grown up.

Second grade buddies--Austin, Nicole, and Bree


My beautiful baby and me
Austin, Nicole, and me
Macie and me

Senior Class Meeting

May 4, 2011

During State Testing, our seniors have meetings during which the kids get their graduation seating, sign up for Grad Nite buses, and vote for graduation speaker, among other things. This year, I actually got to be involved in helping the kids who were auditioning for graduation speaker. Each of the three finalists met with me to edit and practice delivering their speeches prior to audition day. I loved all of the speeches, and I'm really impressed with the fearlessness of these kids who got up in front of all of their classmates to deliver heartfelt, nostalgic, optimistic, and often funny speech.

The winner of the student vote: Natalie Meier

Amanda Arriola
Sam Clark

Bree's Senior Pictures

April 26, 2011

My good friend and very talented photographer Alex Smith took Bree's senior photos out on her property last week--we had been waiting patiently until Bree's braces were no longer part of the picture, so to speak. I think Alex did a fabulous job and got shots we are really happy with. She has such a relaxed and easy rapport with her subjects that it seems effortless for her to get natural smiles and expressions in her shots. Of course, Alex had a beautiful subject to work with, too, so that didn't hurt!

If you'd like to see more of Alex's work or get info about pricing and scheduling, check out her website at www.simplelovephotography.weebly.com

Senior Pictures-Preview

April 22, 2011

When we went out to take Bree's pictures, Alex (our talented photographer) said she didn't mind if I took some shots along side her. That way, I got to have some of my own shots to tide me over until she got the professional ones edited and sent over to me. It was amazing to me how much of my mom I saw in some of Bree's expressions. I wish she could have been here to see Bree grow up into such a beautiful young woman, but I love seeing a part of her shine through Bree's smile.

Last Senior Rally!

April 9, 2011

On April Fool's Day, our seniors had their last rally for the year. They didn't know they were having a rally, though, because our administration thought it would be fun to play an April Fool's Day gag on the kids. They'd been announcing for a week in all the classes that there would be a mandatory Dress Code Assembly to address recent infractions by the student body. It was all very serious and stern-sounding. We even began the 'assembly' with a little slide show with 'Dos and Don'ts' of the dress code before breaking out with the cheers and performances. I'm not sure how many of the kids were actually fooled all the way up until the 'big reveal,' but I do think it was a fun idea!

The robotics team showing off this year's competition robot:

Michael Sun, rapping to show off his school spirit:
The Latin Dance Team:

Spirited Seniors: