The Class of 2033 is nearly ready to embark upon their Middle School journey. But first, they wrapped up their fourth-grade year—the final year in Beasley Lower School—with a reflective recognition ceremony in Eliot Chapel, accompanied by beloved family and friends. It was a joyous occasion to celebrate all they have learned and accomplished and to honor the bonds that will endure for years.
Head of School Jay Rainey kicked off the ceremony with a warm welcome. He shared context around a poem by Richard Wilbur, Love Calls Us to the Things of This World. In it lies the promise of a new day, with buildings close together, strands of clotheslines connecting in between, and laundry blowing in the wind like angels. He said, “I wanted to share this poem with you because it reminds me of where you are on your life’s journey. You are concluding your time in Beasley, and you are ready for a new beginning, a clean and fresh start, in middle school. You are proud of what you have achieved, and you are also excited about the adventure that awaits you. You are in the laundry room—and isn’t laundry wonderful? Imagine the cool sensation of freshly cleaned bedsheets on your skin at the end of a long day, or the feeling of a freshly cleaned and warm shirt just out of the dryer. Every load of laundry marks the end of something and the beginning of something, and this is where you are today—at the end of something accomplished, and on the cusp of something new.”
Two students then shared the history behind Katharine Lee Bates’ America the Beautiful, inspired by her view atop Pikes Peak. All fourth-graders invited the audience to stand with them to sing this timeless song together. Thus began the program’s highlight, where each fourth grader stands at the mic to share their self-written poems and special memories of their time at Beasley.
Between the poetry and sharing of memories, Lower School Music Teacher Dr. Katy Nichols and piano accompanist Kathleen Baker led the students through various musical performances. They sang an a cappella version of Yonder Come Day, a spiritual folk song from the Georgia Sea Islands with multiple layered vocal parts. “The students decided how we should arrange the three parts, which order each part should enter, when we should sing in unison, and how we should end the piece,” said Nichols. “They were able to sing in three-part harmony, transition to spoken parts, and then move back into their three parts seamlessly. We had fun experimenting with the piece in class, and I loved their final arrangement of the piece!”
Their second piece was Queen, Queen Caroline, an all-instrumental piece stylized like a jazz standard. Nichols said, “Several students chose to have instrumental recorder and xylophone solos, and they created improvisations based on the original melody of Queen, Queen Caroline. I was impressed with their comfort level improvising on the recorders and barred instruments in front of their peers and an audience. It was very fun to hear! All of the barred instruments, recorder players, and cymbal player did an excellent job coming in on their parts, dropping out for the soloists, working on dynamic levels to ensure the soloists could be heard, and coming back in for the grand finale of the piece. This was the first time that I had students improvise during a performance.”
For their final piece, the fourth graders sang Fine By Me, which was made popular by singer-songwriter Andy Grammer. “Students did a wonderful job performing in two parts on this song,” said Nichols. “To my fourth graders, I truly felt the lyrics of this song: ‘It’s fine by me, if you never leave.’ I will miss this year’s group very much, as I have had many of them since they were in first grade. Through their musicality at their recognition ceremony, they showcased that they are ready to move on to fifth grade. Way to go, fourth grade, on wonderful performances!”
Head of Lower School Amy Scheer then took to the podium to share her thoughts with the Class of 2033. She said, “Yesterday, in our rehearsal, Dr. Nichols complimented you on your ability to improvise, and the theme of improvisation is a perfect way to wish you well and send you on your way to the Middle School. Improvisation means to make things up as you go, to figure things out in the moment, to fall back on the knowledge and skills that you have to solve the problem right in front of you. It doesn’t mean being unprepared; it means being ready for anything because you trust yourself, and you know how to listen, think, and try.
“When you come back in August and are officially a fifth grader, remember: You are not alone. You are not expected to know everything right away. (It wouldn’t be any fun if you did.) But you are expected to try. To be curious. To be kind. To listen, to help, and to figure things out together.”
Scheer then read each student’s name as they walked across the stage to shake Mr. Rainey’s hand and accept their fourth-grade recognition certificate. The soon-to-be fifth graders then asked the audience to stand with them again while performing one final song: the MICDS Alma Mater.
The ceremony closed with a festive and bittersweet viewing of the fourth-grade retrospective photo slideshow. Students and parents skipped off campus for an afternoon of food, music, games, and fun, thanks to the help and generosity of several fourth-grade parent volunteers.
This special Beasley tradition was a heartwarming celebration of the Class of 2033. Best wishes on your journey to Middle School! View the full program here.