In today’s photo is my friend, Maddie, who finished her 3 year career as a PSCS student today. Maddie and I acknowledge that we must be in the same karass, so similar are we in our way of approaching children. If you aren’t familiar with the term “karass,” it comes from a fictional religion in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle and means a group of people who work together to do God’s will. Some other people I think are in this karass are Julie Holmgren and Bob Perretz-Rosales. I think my mom may be in there, too.

Anyway, Maddie is off to The Evergreen State College this fall, planning to follow in my footsteps to study human development. She has a natural talent for working with middle schoolers and has plans on becoming a school counselor before one day overthrowing me as director of PSCS.

I offer this tribute to her for an incredible school year of hard work. Here’s to you, Maddie!