Evan is an incoming freshman. Vivian is a senior. For each, back to school was a bit of an event this year – Vivian’s last and Evan’s first at high school. Vivian left at the crack of dawn and drove to school for Senior Sunrise on the Hill. And I dropped off Evan at his new high school in the opposite direction. I managed to get a couple of shots outside the front door as I have for years.

If you are wondering what the heck is Evan doing in the second photo, which I would if I didn’t have a teenager, he is “mewing”. Not like a cat, but you’ll have to google it. Here, at the start of the summer holidays, they are both having fun doing it. One more thing we can blame on what we old people call social media, but for them, it’s just a part of life, like oxygen or Kendrick Lamar : – )

Just before school started that morning, Jo caught up with Vivian for a celebratory event and got a few photos too. In the last photo, she’s with her Ms. Gibbs’ carpool friends.

Later that day, as is a sacred tradition now, Jo and I got back to school drinks before lunch. For Jo and me, it was the last time both kids go back to school together. Though there is no reason to not keep celebrating through their college years too.

Happy back to school to all you kids and teachers and parents. Yes, technically, summer is over.

Evan graduated from Magellan. It wasn’t unexpected. But it is still noteworthy. Unlike Vivian who has spent some time at Magellan, Rawson Saunders, and Stephens, Evan has been a Navigator all his life. Magellan has been family.

Like any good global citizen, he should be able to curse fluently in three major languages. He may have also picked up an interest in science, a curiosity for the humanities, a love of art, and some passing ability in soccer and track. His teachers don’t seem to hate him (or they are super polite), he has made a few friends, and somehow some of the IB learner profile characteristics have stuck. All this while being a digital native (born four years after the iPhone), at peak social media, and having spent a quarter of his life in pandemic related craziness.

Shabash beta. Or as his Grandma Bina would simply say, “Bhaalo”.

The last few months have been one big party: a Model UN trip to Dallas (he represented Morocco and got some sort of resolution passed regarding the use of nuclear energy and was recognized by his peers), followed by a class trip to Spain (the travel there took 42 hours because of a small weather related hiccup on the first leg – they had a great time and no one really complained, which says a lot about these kids and their teachers), and then getting ready for graduation.

At graduation, Evan delivered the class speech in Mandarin which is funny because he has been plotting for months to be demoted from the advanced Mandarin class. Graduation was emotional for many of the kids. They have literally been together as long as they can remember. And for parents and teachers too, who have seen each other five days a week for the better part of a decade.

And then the pool parties began.

A special shout out to Ms. Jennifer, a reader of this blog and someone we have known for so many years. Thank you for everything, but mostly thank you for putting up with Evan for all these years.

Happy Middle School Graduation, Evan!