Dear Oyster–Adams Families,

As we close out this school year with our final Guarida of the year, I want to take a moment to celebrate the joy, pride, and growth we experienced together this final week of school.

Our students shone brightly at the Oyster Talent Show and the Adams Musical Showcases. With courage and authenticity, they found a platform to share what makes each of them unique. We are deeply grateful to our SGT Team and Music Teachers, whose thoughtful support ensured that every student felt confident, proud, and celebrated by their community for being completely, and unabashedly themselves. What a gift it is to see our students on stage! If only we grown-ups were that brilliantly courageous!

We also proudly celebrated the work of the Black Affinity Club at Adams, who attended the installation of the new “Black Pioneers at Oyster” plaque at Oyster's entrance! We'll have a larger celebration come next year, but we wanted our students leaders to see it first. This tribute honors Betty Brooks and Earl Williams for their courageous, history-making roles in the desegregation of our school. During this gathering, students also began planning for the future—including expanding their work as mentors and leaders for younger Oyster students.

This week also marked meaningful transitions. Our End-of-Year Clap Out honored our 3rd grade students as they step forward to Adams, while also celebrating our retirees as they begin an exciting new chapter in their lives. Thank you to the dozens of parents and community members who came out to surprise our Tigres. We were heard on every corner of Woodley Park, raucously celebrating! These moments remind us of the continuity and care that define our community, and make us Tigres for life.

Finally, and perhaps most movingly, we shared in the bittersweet joy of our 8th grade milestone events at Adams. Watching our students at their final dance—laughing, celebrating, and shedding tears—was a powerful reminder of the deep connections they have formed. We are so proud of them as they move on to high school, carrying with them their commitment to bilingualism, diversity, and excellence. Watching the final slideshow of all their childhood pictures through the 10 years at OA reminded me of how sacred this responsibility is at OA for all of us, staff and families alike. As an extra gift, please check out these little shout outs from prior teachers that AP Morad compiled for our 8th graders! Thank you to our Class of 2026 community for your faith in OA, and for the lessons we learned to continue serving future Tigres!

Thank you for partnering with us in a year filled with learning, growth, and community!

As a sneak preview of what's to come for next year, please check this celebration of new team members for next year. As many of you know, we celebrated retirements for five staff members this year, said farewell to departing staff members returning to their home countries or new job opportunities, and welcomed existing staff members into new positions. The work of finding their torch-bearers involved lesson demos with student feedback, LSAT family volunteers, teacher participation in hiring committees, and countless hours of vetting candidates from across the country (and Latin America). We're very excited about who we're bringing on to carry OA's legacy.

We wish all of our families a restful, joyful summer and look forward to welcoming you back in August!

Un abrazo fuerte,

Carolina Brito, Principal of OA