What I have found in Senior Three

A message

To C301
You asked me if I was happy and I was honest. You showed your heart and became my favorite class from the start. As time went by I lost a few of you and I wondered why? I realized later that I can not reach everyone and I must cherish the time with those I can. The great lesson in life. I saw you at the bottom of my stairs. I was going out to excercise and you later told me that the owner of the shop is a mean lady with a lot of money, I smiled, and every day when I look at her with her new "surgery widened eyes." I think of you
you know who you are

To C302
I have been here for four years, and for four years I have searched for a voice. I didn't know it was what I was looking for until I heard you sing. Soon Taiwan will know you voice
you know who you are

To C303
We stole the music teachers classroom for a day and I heard you try and find a 3/3 tempo on the drums. I didn't get hear you sing because you had to scream to let the drummer hear you becuase the tempo was difficult
you know who you are

To C304
This is the class that I never saw coming and I'm sure the world will have the same feeling. Expect great things from this class. Remember...sound never actually dies, it just bounces and ricochets until it gets smaller and smaller, but it never actually dies.....make a sound C304, you will be heard! And your song will be sung
you know who you are

To C305
This was a rowdy class full of students trying hard to pass exams who just went crazy in my class becuase they had no other place to do so. But they were sweet, and they spoke out, probably to distract me from giving them further tests
you know who you are

To S301
I have seen the face that holds a laugh that I will know forever. I want the person with that laugh to call me when I'm down, far away. Just to hear it, would bring both tears and joy,
you know who you are

To S302
I was there for you when a student had lost it all, and I took you outside of the classroom, looked down on a school that for better for worse tries to live within a system that tries to make us all small. We looked out on the long abandoned lawn surrounding a statue that no one seems to know and I told you that I loved you all and that is still true. Then we ate sushi
you know who you are

To S303
They say good things come in three's and bad. I have yet to feel I have reached any class that ends in 3. I have been lucky to find a few of you...That can dance, that have seen the birth place of my father, and it has been a great lesson for me, you can not reach them all, always focus on the few you have
you know who you are

To S304
This is the after bell class, there was conversation always after the bell. We learned Turkish, Spanish, and the true origins of Christmas. This is a class that has no individual moment or student with whom I don't feel we shared something special. Even if I'm not a good Christian, you listened and showed you were.
you know who you are

To S305
This class was waiting for me to take off my head and show them that I was really a space alien. I could tell they were waiting for me to go crazy and I never gave it to them. My favorite student had a hard time finding a home in this class, but I know she felt comfortable with me and from there I got to met a whole grip of talent. The Bass teacher who taught my students on Friday's. The quiet biologist who likes to study human anatomy. The girl with the boys name who grew her hair long. You have all scared me like a tattoo, even if I told you never to get one
you know who you are

To S306
This is the dead poets class. I didn't have a chance to speak to everyone because I was too busy being caught in acting like the teacher from dead poets society. There were students who's English was well...INSANE! And I ran with it for better for worse. This class was the one I wish I had every day nonstop for 8 hours. I'm sure we could cure cancer, end wars, steal Christmas trees and top it off with soldier boy all within a days work...oh wait, we did. This class brought me my worst feeling as a teacher and that with great responsibility there is always a price. I will seek out years of constructive therapy to right the feelings I had that afternoon
you know who you are

To all Senior Three

Never forget who you are
Never forget where you come from
It is only an illussion that we are seperate
we are one
the world is listening
it's time to speak out

yours forever
john