"The Speech"

I found out about two months ago that my position at Miles River would be impacted by the budget cuts that our district is struggling through. About five minutes after the initial surprise of this information, as I sat in my room with a class of seventh graders, I began to think about how fortunate I have been in my three years here. I remembered that every moment with my students is a gift.

I am leaving Miles River. It’s not clear yet what will happen to the middle school music and chorus positions here, but I feel in my heart that I belong somewhere else this fall. I don’t know exactly what I will be doing yet, but I ultimately hope to help change the systems of education in our country, or at least in some small corner of our country. Right now, I am looking for a teaching job in an urban setting.

I would love to say a thousand things to all of you – my students, your parents, my colleagues. The most important thing I can say is Thank You. I have been shown overwhelming kindness in my time here, and many of you have thanked me, but none of you can understand how teaching here has changed me.

Somehow teaching you music has taught me to live. You’ve challenged me to get outside of my own perspective. Every day I’ve been surrounded by your fresh eyes and ears and voices. You didn’t know it, but you have been changing my eyes, my ears, and my voice. You work hard. You’ve trusted me. You’ve laughed with me and made me laugh. I have seen you accomplish things that few adults would dare try. You’ve risen to every challenge I’ve put before you.

I wish I could keep you somehow, that I could move on to whatever is ahead of me but magically hold on to your everyday presence in my life. I know that I must go, no matter how things work out within the district. It’s a gut feeling that I can’t explain. But please understand that it’s one of the hardest choices I’ve ever made.

I have three requests to make of you. Number one. Please keep on making music: stick with chorus and musical theater, with band or private lessons. Make time in your life for the arts as a whole, for creating works of beauty. Dance. Act. Draw. Sculpt. Take pictures. Finger paint. This is important, more important than any of us understand. Our educational systems don’t value the arts, but our systems are wrong. The arts help to make us human . . . not just intelligent people, but whole and happy people. If there’s anything I want, it’s for you to become a whole and happy person.

Request number two. When you are given the opportunity, take action to support the arts, in education and in the world.

Request number three. Keep in touch. I will still be in the area; I will do all I can to support whoever is working with you next year. I want to hear how you are doing and what you are up to. My personal e-mail address is hlabonde@gmail.com. I’ll send out updates from time to time; jot me an e-mail so I get you in my address book.

Again, thank you. I will miss you, more than I can say.

Hannah LaBonde