I have been thinking what it will be like to close my Physical Education office door one last time at Snoqualmie Middle School.

It has been quite a ride and one filled with many, many memories. For me, it has been making 22 years of memories in a 35-year career working in the same building. I have felt very fortunate for that.

There has been joy and there has been sorrow and I am glad the joyful times have outweighed the sadder ones. SMS is a large extended family and will continue to be a family long after our students and staff members leave this building. Many of you in the Snoqualmie Valley are also part of our extended family. I was reminded this today when our evening custodian stopped to tell me that some ‘older’ adults had been in the building recently and heard the Track Top Ten Lists were up in the gym. They told our custodian they wanted to see if one of their names was still on the list.

Wow, the little things…History—the one thing that unites all of us in this community is our history, our shared history. Many of you have left a footprint in these halls whether it has been parent, student, staff or community member. SMS is the red, white and blue school, home of the Eagles that connected Fall City, North Bend and Snoqualmie for many years. I hope we all get connected again and bring back the red, white and blue. If not in the same building, then in a new one, and keep the memories and the records alive.

For now, my office will sit empty and you can’t make memories with an ‘empty’ room.

Lynnette Wiegardt

Sammamish