Events · Bridge Ceremony
We do not have graduation. We have a bridge.
On the last Thursday of the school year, kids who are moving on walk over a small wooden bridge in the courtyard while somebody reads their name and one sentence about them.
- Date
- June 18, 2026
- Time
- 6:00–8:00
- Where
- Hawthorne courtyard
- Cost
- Free
Most of our kids age out at 14. Some move, some switch schools, some just stop coming. The Bridge Ceremony is the one ritual we have for that transition, and we built it deliberately: no caps, no gowns, no valedictorian, no stage. A small wooden bridge, built by the engineering program, set up in the courtyard. A kid walks over it. Somebody reads their name and one sentence they wrote about themselves, or one sentence a staff member wrote about them if they prefer not to.
The ceremony
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 6:00 | Doors. Families, staff, and whoever the kid invited. |
| 6:20 | The bridge. Each kid walks over while their sentence is read. A bell rings after each name. |
| 7:00 | The kid speaker. One kid is chosen by the kids, not by us, and gets five minutes. |
| 7:20 | The lamp. We turn on the 2011 lamp, which is the only ceremonial object we have. |
| 7:30 | Food. Everyone eats. Nobody makes a speech after the food. |
The sentences
The sentence is the whole ceremony. It has to be specific, it has to be true, and it cannot be a compliment about being nice. Past examples: 'This is Marisol, who fixed the amp for the talent show and did not tell anyone she did it.' 'This is Theo, who was afraid of the saw for a year and now certifies other kids on it.' 'This is Juniper, who sat in the Void every Tuesday and now runs the Void sign-up sheet.'
We keep the sentences in a binder. Kids come back and read theirs. Some of them cry. Some of them pretend not to.
I did not want a graduation. I wanted a door I could come back through. The bridge is a door.
The bridge is in June
June 18, 6 p.m., Hawthorne courtyard. Families and alumni welcome.