Today we paused to celebrate the year with family and friends, listening to the powerful hero speeches of the graduating Elementary School Eagles and hearing each Eagle  praised by friends and Guides for a special character trait.

Not one word about curriculum or buildings or capital campaigns – simply a community celebrating learning and living with their fellow heroes-in-the-making.

At the end of the celebration, each Eagle received a copy of Our Hero’s, Our Stories, a retrospective of the year, told in impromptu pictures and the words of each Acton hero.

Ceremony matters. It puts into perspective the struggles, mistakes and lessons of the year, setting the stage for even more powerful growth.  A reminder that it is individual sweat and toil that powers discovery and learning, and sharing with those we care about that gives accomplishment greater meaning.