Written by Jane Scupham, Principal
This spring for the first time we had a robin decide to build a nest on one of the beams in our carport. Every morning I surveyed the progress on the nest. The first nest (yes, I said first) was a lovely one with well-built walls of a height of at least 4 inches and a sturdy, stable base tucked into the corner of 2 intersecting beams. I thought it looked fine until I came home one day and noticed that the bird builders had gotten carried away in their nest building and built the walls so high that it wasn’t possible for them to perch on the side of the nest without squishing themselves against the carport roof. Hmmm, back to square one went the intrepid bird builders. They chose another beam and began building another nest. This nest appeared to be built with far less enthusiasm and precision. The walls weren’t as pretty, or as sturdy or as high, but seemed to be built with great urgency. (You could almost hear the female robin saying to the male, “You need to finish it! NOW!) And sure enough, no sooner had the walls been erected then 4 brilliant blue eggs were laid inside.
The robin parents watched me walk by every morning and evening and I acknowledge them by greeting them at each passing. I took pictures of the eggs whenever the parents were not around to be bothered by the flash. My husband and I enjoyed watching the hatching, seeing the dinosaur-looking babies, the slow growth of fuzz turning into beautifully marked feathers, and hearing the little peeping sounds the babies made when hungry. Before we knew it, the babies were no longer totally dependent, but were big fledglings ready to meet the wonders of the world. The nest had definitely grown too small for the little family. In a span of less than a week, the fledglings were out of the nest, and with their parents flying not too far away, making their way in the world.
And thus it is with our graduating 8th grade students. They come to us small and fragile and in need of a nest with strong, sturdy walls to keep them safe, like those of Saint Paul Catholic School, but before we know it, they have developed into beautiful young people ready to test the world outside. We watch as they soar away from our building, taking part of us with them. We wish our graduates blessings in their flights into unknown skies and may they know that we are all rooting for them as they spread their wings and fly.