珍惜、祝福、感恩～一場充滿人情味的畢業里程
To Cherish, Bless and Give Thanks: A Heartfelt Graduation Milestone
「名牌的球鞋、背包會舊會破，流行歌曲很快就會被新歌曲取而代之，電玩會推陳出新，我想送你一個你能留得住的禮物。」
一位媽媽送自己的孩子到柬埔寨擔任國際志工時，親筆寫了這麼一封信給孩子。平日經常跟媽媽針鋒相對的孩子形容自己原本是一個上課態度不好，日子過得渾渾噩噩，缺乏責任心、自我放棄的人，但是這封信卻讓他強烈感受到母親對他濃厚的愛。他分享自己在柬埔寨當國際志工的經歷之後，逐一唸出母親信上所寫的字句，語帶哽咽地說：「我很謝謝我媽媽給了我這趟旅程，帶給我這個改變的機會。」然後，他在台上恭恭敬敬地向母親深深一鞠躬。「從這趟旅行中我學會為自己負責，也學會團隊合作，」言畢，心中滿溢著感動的他再度語塞，努力從口中吐出：「這趟旅程…會一直留在我心中…。」
這是均一實驗高中首度舉辦九年級畢業專題報告的其中一幕。
一開始，有些孩子對專題報告感到陌生，甚至覺得恐懼，不知如何著手進行，學校老師耐心尋找期刊小論文的文本引導學生觀看，學生看過之後才發現專題報告並沒有想像中那麼困難，只要從自己內心的脈絡去挖掘去尋找即可，也許過程中難免會有點卡關，但可以找老師一起討論協商，而家長也會從旁給予建議與協助。
有個孩子在就讀均一之前，原本是音樂班中非常傑出的孩子，後來因為某些緣故不得不放棄拉琴，這個對他來說其實打擊很大，原本最愛的小提琴，變成一看見就勾動了心傷，他開始變得悶悶不樂、意興闌珊。直到畢業專題報告當天，他現場演奏了一段優美的小提琴樂音，許多同學、師長這才知道原來他會拉小提琴，甚至還是音樂班的首席。在均一就讀的三年期間，他徹底放掉音樂，卻又重新認識了音樂，透過學校的教育理念、老師的教導，以及多元社團的陶冶，讓他在探索中學習彈性思考，明白喜歡音樂不一定只有成為音樂家一途，還有很多其他的面向可以延伸發展。
聽過孩子的故事之後，均一訓育組長童愉表示這個專題報告讓她有一種未完待續的感覺：「我不知道這孩子之後有沒有機會再拉琴，可是我知道音樂這件事，會一直存在他的生命和血液裡面。」
還有一個孩子，在學校給人的印象始終很堅強，他的畢業報告以「完整與不完整」為題，述說自己身為單親家庭小孩所面臨的處境與種種心情。由於他跟媽媽一起生活，母子感情特別好，媽媽一直都很支持他、給他最好的教育，相對地，他也就比較習慣依賴媽媽，所以不太懂得如何跟其他人相處，因為這樣的家庭背景，讓他很時時都想去證明自己、突破自己，希望自己有一天可以出人頭地、為媽媽爭氣。孩子真誠地娓娓道來，觸動了在場每個人心裡那塊或多或少感到有所缺憾的角落，台上台下頓時都哭花了眼睛。
一位老師忍不住跟這孩子說，在你想要證明自己之前，請先接受自己現在的樣子，這個家庭沒有所謂的完整或不完整，因為你是一個完整的個體，這個家因為有了”你＂的存在，它就是一個完整的家。
今年六月中旬，均一師生共同策劃了一連三天一系列的畢業活動，從九年級專題報告、感恩謝師餐會、畢業生餐會，到充滿著溫馨祝福的畢業典禮，為學生們帶來一場別開生面、不同以往的畢業里程。
藉由畢業專題報告，學生深入探索各類議題，舉凡轉學的心路歷程、在學校住宿後與家人情感的轉變、對原民加分政策的見解、部落與我的剖析、從籃球運動培養團隊精神、近距離紙牌魔術秀、我與舞蹈的對話、鞦韆上的Vavayan、如何在父母期望與自己想法間達到平衡、室內設計的學習、一台跑車的研究、面對怯場的自己、音樂對我的影響、電擊棒的解說、如何自製簡易發電機…等等，孩子們學會從興趣中探究自己，從部落文化中找尋自己的源頭，透過和內心對話，展開與自己和解、勇敢做自己的旅程，這些都是學校送給孩子臨別前最特別也最珍貴的禮物。
均一實驗高中上月老師表示：「如果學校沒有畢業專題報告的嘗試與安排，我不會了解孩子的背後原來正在面對著什麼，或曾經經歷著什麼；對九年級學生來說，藉著探索一個主題，展開自我整理，釐清自己與家人以及群體之間的關係，這是一個很棒也很有意義的過程。」
一位家長回饋，均一真是一所不一樣的學校！一般九年級畢業生在會考之後，就處於自由放鬆的狀態，但均一的學生在會考之後，不但要努力完成生命探索課程的山海挑戰，還要積極準備自己獨一無二的畢業專題報告，做為國中三年的學習成果代表，校園生活之充實精彩，台上表達之自信神采，令人感到既驚豔又讚嘆。
除了畢業專題報告之外，嚴長壽董事長還額外加入兩場餐宴，一場是感恩謝師餐會，由即將畢業的九年級同學擔任服務，並與六年級同學以音樂演奏向老師致謝；另一場是畢業餐宴，由在校的高中生來服務即將畢業的九年級與六年級同學。
這兩場餐宴特別由一群嚴董事長的舊屬主廚志工團隊前來安排指導，帶領學生學習基本國際禮儀以及餐飲服務培訓。第二度前來擔任志工的Winnie主廚有感而發：「兩場餐會結束後，都有學生跑來跟廚師道謝，並詢問，我可以抱抱你嗎？用餐完畢也很主動到廚房幫忙清潔。均一的學生真的貼心又傑出。這也是我們愛上均一的原因，很希望再有機會再去做志工！」
「對均一的孩子來說，如果離開學校之前，沒有專題報告，沒有感恩餐會，沒有臨別餐會，整個畢業典禮，似乎就不算是一個完美的結局。」
在全程參與均一的畢業系列活動之後，黃景裕校長銘感於心地如是詮釋。他默默觀察畢業生在專題報告與餐會上的表現，他發覺：「不論專題的內容形式及探討的深度，都可以看到學生認真的態度及家長的熱情回應，尤其畢業生們從頭到尾專注安坐在會場，看得出他們是真心在乎自己的表現、對自己有所期待！在餐會上，由於整體布置氛圍較為正式，孩子們自然而然坐得比較挺直，動作也變得比較優雅。凡此種種都顯示出環境的刻意營造，會讓孩子的行為在無形中產生微妙的轉變。」
看到每一個孩子，不論是坦然的自我剖析，或是對未來各種想像議題的爬梳，嚴長壽董事長有一種孩子們似乎在一夜之間突然都長大了的感受。身為旁觀者的他，心中充滿著感動的暖流，雖然活動過程中臨時追加兩場感恩餐會，或許為團隊增加了不少的工作量，但一切的辛苦都非常值得。他緩緩細說如此安排的用心：「我深深地感受到在孩子離開學校以前，必須學會兩件事情，一是以溫馨的行動對老師表達感謝，另一項就是讓孩子學會如何做一個進退得宜的公民，我相信這些都是他們離開均一以後，在一般學校無法學到的生活禮儀。」
「我更希望在均一所孕育的校園文化，是一種台灣社會漸漸消失的人情味，一種珍惜大家共處多年後，可以自然表達、真情流露的感恩，同時，也希望孩子在離開學校之前，可以將這些人與人之間相處的珍貴情誼，化為可以帶走的豐厚養分，讓自己以正向的態度面對未來的挑戰。」
This graduation season at Junyi Experimental High School was one of heartfelt gratitude, as students, parents and staff gathered to celebrate the milestone over three days in mid-June. The ninth graders shone onstage presenting their graduation project reports while well wishes poured in. There were the graduation and teachers’ appreciation banquets.
The graduation report showcase allowed the students to explore various topics of their interest in-depth, featuring reflections on the students’ transfer to Junyi, the change in their family interactions after being in a boarding school, their thoughts about admission bonus points for indigenous students amongst other topics. Some also discussed their relationships with their own indigenous communities, as well as what they have gained from sports, the arts and technology, cultural activities and any other interests they have picked up along the way. Such meaningful self-discovery and consolidation of holistic learning is indeed the best Junyi has to offer to the students before they leave the school.
Principal Huang Jing-yu was touched by the students’ dedication and strong support by parents at the showcase, and impressed by the students’ exemplary etiquette and spirit of service and participation at the banquets. Chairman Stanley Yen was also heartened to see each child grow with a deepening understanding of themselves and their external environments, while giving thought to their future. To learn to give thanks to their teachers warmly and to inculcate the values of appropriate behavior as members of society are two matters the students ought to experience before leaving school, he commented. It is his hope that the students would take this heartfelt culture of Junyi with them into society, tapping on these bonds and inspiration for their life journeys going forward.
As teacher Kao Shang-yue mentioned, without the reports, she would not have had a chance to understand each student at such depths and their respective personal journeys of growth. A parent noted that other ninth graders in mainstream education may be at a complete state of relaxation after the high school exam but Junyi students worked hard towards their individual graduation reports, which were presented with such poise and confidence. The students overcome their initial uncertainties about the project report under the teachers’ guidance in the research and writing process.
In particular, one student held back his tears of gratitude, bowed and thanked his mother for taking the effort to ensure he had the opportunity to volunteer in Cambodia as that had changed his attitude towards life. He admitted that he did not put in his best in his daily tasks before the international volunteer experience, but the trip enabled him to learn to be responsible for himself and to work with others. This was just one of the many enriching and well-delivered reports at the graduation showcase.
Another student performed a violin recital. Before his enrolment at Junyi, he was one of the best students in a music class, but he had to give up the violin for some unforeseeable reason and he became despondent. In the three years he was in Junyi, he did not play the violin but realized that he can pursue his love of music in many other ways. This realization can be attributed to Junyi’s educational philosophy, teachers’ guidance and the varied co-curricular activities he underwent which helped him to find his path.
Another report was themed "Complete and Incomplete” with the student revealing that he comes from a single-parent home and the complex feelings within. The audience was deeply moved by his heartfelt sharing. A teacher told him, that before he goes on to prove himself as he wished, he would have to accept himself first and that his family and home is complete because of his presence.
At the appreciation banquet, the ninth graders served their teachers while sixth performed music. For the graduation banquet, the seventh and eighth graders served the graduating classes. Volunteer chefs led the preparation to familiarize students with dining etiquette and food and beverage handling. Chef Winnie, a second-time volunteer, expressed that students were appreciative and cleaned up proactively. The students have touched her heart and she hopes to have more volunteering opportunities in future.