Eighth grade graduation

It's not as uncommon as I first thought, according to this NYT piece.

I think the principal said it best when he did a Rent-like countdown at Friday's graduation at Cascade Middle School.

70 days- they are 9th graders, at the bottom of the heap again.

360 days-most of them will have their drivers' licenses

1300 days, they will be graduating high school, on the road to college or a craft, we hope.

And as a parting piece, here is a slide show about a professional musician who taught band in middle school. God bless her.