The faculty are invited to the first hour of the senior prom every year, but I have never gone, partly because it is always so far from where I live, but also because no students have ever shown any interest in seeing me there. And without some interest, why would I expect they would particularly want to see me at their prom anyway? But yesterday my wife told me that her girls were bugging her to go with me to see them. Had I known that prior to the prom, I might actually have gone this year since I had more interest in seeing these students than I usually have.

Mark and Kate are camping with friends this weekend, planning to go canoeing on a river there. Unfortunately, the weather is supposed to be intolerably hot this weekend, approaching 100 degrees the next three days. That should also make school very uncomfortable Monday. Thankfully, we only have three more days of classes before the start of final exams and various end-of-the-year activities, some of them heartwarming (the senior awards ceremony, graduation) and others stomach-warming (faculty breakfasts during exams, and the retirement banquet).

This is always the most enjoyable part of the school year, but it is also a sad time since it means saying farewell to another group of students who spent a lot of time in my office the past few years. People who know me well will not be surprised that I will miss one student more than any other student I have had recently.