MIDDLE

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

Will was telling me about his schedule for 7th grade, his first year at middle/high school. 

It’s the same place where I once walked the halls with an overstuffed binder and way too many emotions. 

It may not be the same as Sebastian Middle School (nothing ever will be), but so much of the experience will be similar. 

Hearing him list off teachers’ names felt like flipping through a yearbook I still carry in my head. 

I would not go back to 7th grade for anything. That age is all elbows and big feelings. 

Regardless,  I am so thankful Will gets to grow up in the same small town I did, with familiar hills, familiar hallways, and some of the same adults still showing up for kids like they always have.

I know those teachers. I have seen the way they stay late to help, carry snacks to their desks, and notice the quiet kids. 

There is not a lot of glamour in rural education, but there is so much grit, so much grace, and a kind of quiet glory that stays with you.

I am deeply proud of this place, proud of Will, and proud of the people who keep saying “yes” to the kids in our community year after year.

POPULAR

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PROTECT AND DEFEND

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