Metro Alumni return to Campus!

At Childpeace, we have a tradition of inviting Alumni back to campus before Thanksgiving break. At this event, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Metro students sit together for lunch and watch the 6th Year Service Learning Projects Parade. Alumni sit together and enjoy lunch as our guests  and each other's company while watching the parade, reminiscing about the projects they completed, and past parades they've attended.

After watching the parade, eating lunch, and lots of mingling, Metro students and Alumni head back to Metro to revisit their former stomping grounds! They look through yearbooks and photo albums, visit with the Guides, and notice changes throughout the building; then we gather so Alumni can share about their transition to high school and various high school experiences. They give our current students an opportunity to hear about their potential high school options, and an idea for what to expect! A couple of highlights of the conversation were an extensive and intensive exchange on the (poor) quality of school lunch and quirks of favorite teachers. 

COVID-19 put a temporary halt to this tradition, though last year we were able to bring it back on a much smaller scale by just inviting recent Alumni to share about their transition to high school during the pandemic. Our students found it very informative and beneficial, but this year we were eager to bring back this beloved tradition in all its glory, and two weeks ago we welcomed nearly 40 Alumni! The planning for such an event was quite exciting! We ordered pizza from Childpeace family-owned Pizza Kat, and our Alumni sure appreciated the meal! 

It was heartwarming to hear Alumni share fond memories of Childpeace and Metro and entertaining to hear them share interesting and amusing stories about high school. For us caring adults present during their time here at Metro, it’s quite refreshing to welcome them back as more mature and grown-up versions of themselves. This event is always one to look forward to!