This is a belated message from John and Susan Barbaro: “For those who remember Alethea Barbaro: John and Susan Barbaro will be flying to Barcelona on May 13 for Alethea's May 24 wedding to Dani, who is a mathematician like Alethea. (Dani was born and raised in Catalonia, Spain). Then they will have another wedding ceremony on August 3 in Amherst, Mass. Alethea is presently an assistant professor of applied mathematics at Case Western Reserve University. Dani is teaching and researching mathematics in a post doctoral position at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. They met when Alethea was on a research collaboration in Barcelona.” We trust everything went beautifully!

My cousin, Peggy Sturgis Aker, sent this update: “News from the sunny south: Brooks was inducted into the Mu of Virginia Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa on May 15. He graduated magna cum laude and an honors scholar on May 16 from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and information systems. He will spend his summer studying and taking the four-part CPA exam and will begin his career in November. Elizabeth completed her sophomore year at Virginia Tech and will be working at a local camp for youth with Down syndrome. She will also be a social worker for one of her campers for most of the summer, plus babysitting.

“Greg and I have taken a few trips to attend a variety of concerts ranging from Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” to Willie Nelson to Southern Soul Assembly at Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, W.V. We all just returned from a relaxing week vacation on Hilton Head Island and unfortunately won’t be traveling to IOS this summer. (There are still some available weeks for rentals if anyone has last minute planners!)”

Amanda Phillips sent me this ditty: “A little excitement on the wildlife front: on Friday morning, a pileated woodpecker was working away on a dead birch down between the McClennan and Stoddard cottages. He was big (40 cm or so) and he was loud — it sounded like a person chopping with a small hatchet. He jumped around a bit, probably finding a banquet in those woods; maybe leaving some more dead and diseased trees standing will lure him back!” I know how exciting that can be; we had one out back of our cottage a few years ago!

I arrived on Saturday on the noon ferry to find Peter and Carol Burvill and his sister Mim “moving on.” Monty was there, too, telling jokes, of course! I did a little work at the cottage ahead of my teacher visitors and by the time I got back down for the 4 p.m. ferry, Elizabeth and Nicole and their two were arriving, and enjoying every puddle! We saw Matt and Claudia and Dodger walking around, too. Other sightings were Mike and Donald and Susan Reece and Jim Swift. (I saw some other cars in the parking lot, but not the Islanders who own them.)

OK, teachers know that there’s a fine line between “the end of school” and “almost the end of school.” Assessments are done, learning is solid (we hope), friendships are cemented, and the days are long and sunny and warm, the final days are bittersweet, we “can’t wait for it to be over” yet we “don’t want it to end.” Just hang around a first grade classroom and you’ll know what I mean.

It’s different for me this year. After 41 years of classes (and Island field trips) and colleagues and paradigm shifts, I’m retiring. We had the All Girls Dance Party at our cottage this Saturday: 16 of us Coffin School teachers (ages 27-64) came across (thanks, Peter and Carol, Max and Ashley for the boat rides!) to enjoy food and dancing (yes, dancing!) at the top of the island. Good thing we were the only inhabited cottage up there! There is nothing finer than working with dedicated, caring, fun professionals in a rewarding job. I’m going to need to figure out what to do next.

The Abigail Swett is on a limited schedule this week. Send me your news.