Thank you all for joining us today.

As you are probably aware, we make a point of calling this ceremony a promotion - not a graduation.

The students will receive a certificate this afternoon-but even if they left Cinnabar without it, I'm certain that they wouldn't be turned away on their first day of school as a seventh grader.

So why are we making such a big to-do over leaving sixth grade? Why did the girls get to go shopping for a new dress, why did the boys have to go shopping for a better shirt, and why did your parents, extended family and friends decide that it was worth missing work-or Oprah-to watch you shake my hand?

It is because although this isn't a graduation, it does signify a one of the biggest transitions in your life-from childhood into a young adult.

Let's think for a moment about who you were when you started kindergarten. Maybe you knew your alphabet, but you certainly didn't know how to read. You probably couldn't even zip up your jacket or tie your shoes without help. You probably could write your name-backwards. Yes, you were adorable, but you were a little kid who really didn't know anything.

So what happened in the seven years since then? With the nurturing and commitment of some excellent teachers you learned to read books that didn't have any pictures, how to write a coherent research report with a bibliography. You mastered the fundamentals of math and even some algebra and geometry. You learned how to do internet research, use a keyboard and put together a multi-media presentation. And you took trips to the Gold Country and Walker Creek and discovered that there was a whole lot more world out there beyond Skillman Lane and North Petaluma Boulevard.

OK, so you've learned a lot but you're probably still not quite ready to take your SATs. After all, we want to leave a little material for your junior high and high school teachers to cover.

So let's also take a look at what you learned at Cinnabar that can't be measured on a Star Test. You know those annoying life skills that your teachers are always harping on? They may just be the most important lessons you'll take with you. Because your teachers insisted that you show respect for other people's opinions, that you patiently wait your turn, and that you learn how to cooperate with others to achieve a common goal, they tamed you from a wild thing (ok, with a little help from your parents) into the poised and confident ladies and gentlemen that sit in front of us today.

And all these good things you learned in a very unique place; there are not very many school environments that are as personal and caring as Cinnabar. At the schools you attend in the future, if the principal is on a first name basis with you, that may not be a good thing. Here at Cinnabar, Mr. Ecker and Mrs. Lorenz know each of you individually just because they like to and they know it makes a difference in the way you feel about coming to school. Your teachers cared about you as a person, not only as a student. They invested six hours-and sometimes a lot more hours-of their day, 180 days a year in helping you succeed. They often knew some of your brothers and sisters. If your family was going through a difficult time, they knew about it worked with you with compassion yet structure. You were never just a name on an attendance sheet.

As Colleen and I can tell you from having our three children grow and mature as students at Cinnabar you come from a special school. One thing that I've heard over and over from the teachers at Petaluma Junior High, where all of my children went and where many of you will begin seventh grade, is that the students that come from Cinnabar are some of the best-prepared - both academically and socially - young men and women they meet each year.

So parents and students, savor the sweetness of this day. And celebrate the transition as your student steps into a new phase of their life. They're ready for it.