Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia The Final Class: Rose, Bud, Thorn
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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The Final Class: Rose, Bud, Thorn

Rebekah Kinney | May 6, 2020 | 1211 views

I never expected to be so inspired when I joined the Senior Ventures Google meet on Thursday, April 30 at 11:00 a.m. Carlie was quick to point out that this was not only our last Senior Ventures class, but their last class at Darlington. Wow! The pressure was on to make this a memorable experience! David, Sharon, and Neal were there even though it was 11:00 p.m. in China. Before providing the details of this last monumentos Google Meet, I want to provide information about the Senior Ventures program at Darlington School. 

Senior Ventures is a year-long senior project built on a framework of leadership, innovation, and community engagement. The topic and project designs are selected by individual students, and they must apply for the program during the Spring semester of their junior year. Most projects fall into one of the following categories:  Investigation, Performance, Entrepreneurship, and Outreach. This was the inaugural year for Senior Ventures. Owen Kinney, my husband, developed the program and worked with a faculty team to prepare for the launch this year. I was blessed with the opportunity to be the instructor/facilitator for the program. 

During this last class, Owen and I decided to have everyone reflect and share using the Rose, Bud, Thorn method our own three boys have grown so fond of over the years. According to this article, Rose, Bud, Thorn is a mindful reflection activity to help your students think about the successes and challenges they encountered this year and to consider new ideas they’ve had or things they look forward to learning or experiencing in the future. The general concept is to follow these terms for the activity. 

Rose = A highlight, success, small win, or something positive that happened.
Bud = New ideas that have bloomed or something you are looking forward to knowing more about or experiencing.
Thorn = A challenge you experienced or something you can use more support with.

The Kinney household began using this reflection technique at the dinner table after learning the method while working and attending camp at the Green River Preserve in North Carolina. At first, there were a few moans and groans about reflecting, but then the boys started to ask to share their thoughts in this manner. 

When we decided to use this technique with the 10 members of the Senior Ventures class, I expected a lot of complaining about the pandemic and how this unprecedented situation has upended their Senior year. That is not what happened. This group of young people has tenacity and resilience. They understand quarantine is necessary to keep their communities and families safe. I did not record the Google Meet, so I cannot remember which student made each comment. However, I remember ending this group's last class at Darlington motivated and assured they will venture on to do great things in their next adventures. Here are some of the paraphrased comments:

Roses:
I now have an appreciation for how much social interaction we receive at school. 
Google Meets can be exciting. People bring their pets, family members pop in and out of the frame, and often we have more time to discuss. We have conversations about how we are doing and what is happening in our lives during the quarantine.
In many ways this situation has brought the Senior class closer together. Everyone is being so supportive of the senior class and we appreciate it. 
I am enjoying having the opportunity to spend more time with my family. 
Quarantine can be a nice, calm break from a life that never seemed to stop.

Buds:
I am now looking forward to graduation. 
Now that I am finishing my Senior Ventures project, I am hopeful I will continue to work on it in the future. 
I am looking forward to college!

Thorns:
Sometimes, working from home can be monotonous, and it can also be difficult to stay motivated and to follow a schedule. 
I miss my friends and teachers!
My final Senior Ventures project is not ending the way I hoped.
I am unhappy that we did not know our last day was the last day. We did not get to really say goodbye. 

Here are our own reflections on the Senior Ventures program. 

Roses: 
It has been a privilege  to work with a group of students that are naturally driven, passionate about learning, and so eager to share their talents. 
Working alongside students, according to their plans, offers insight to teaching and greater empathy for learners.

Buds: 
We are looking forward to sharing these unique ventures with the Darlington community. The paths were all different than expected, but each one represents a journey far beyond the classroom. We are optimistic about the future and every opportunity to meet with these alumni again.
We are looking forward to working with our new Senior Ventures group!

Thorns:
We will miss collaborating with these students and following their lead into so many interesting pursuits. 
This is not how we envisioned the end to our inaugural year!  We were going to have a showcase evening in the library where each student presented their projects. 
We did not have an opportunity to thank these students and tell them goodbye in person. We are so proud of the work these Seniors have accomplished and, most importantly, the people that they have become. 

Here is a list of the members of this first Senior Ventures class: 

Lucy Bearden
Lauren Botwinik
David Cao
Carlie Chisolm
Bella Cox
Trang Dang
Alexander Greene
Veeka Malanchuk
Sharon Sun
Neal Yin


Their Senior Ventures projects will be released soon. Every student has written a blog that chronicles their journey and highlights their accomplishments. One thing we do know for sure, you will be impressed with this remarkable group of young people.

We leave these Seniors with this famous quote from one of my most beloved children’s authors A.A. Milne:

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”