Sonoma’s Woodland Star Charter School graduates 22

Woodland Star Charter School held a socially distanced graduation with limited guests on Friday, June 11. It was an intimate but meaningful moment to mark, for many, the end of a 10-year journey, since most of the class started Woodland Star together in pre- kindergarten.

Their current teacher Bill Kobabe took over the class after third grade and remained their teacher through eighth grade, alongside assistant teacher Mark Escalera.

The graduating class of 22 gathered on the playground with sun umbrellas and Hawaiian shirts. Flower and palm tree frond arrangements adorned the stage.

After a few words from departing director Jamie Lloyd, and a small speech from their teacher, each student came up to the podium with a prepared speech.

“They filled our hearts with appreciations, lessons learned from the journey, and plenty of meaningful reflections,” said Lloyd. “They were poised and mature, every one of them. We are all so very proud of them.”

Twenty-two students graduated and will head off to the following high schools:

Rowan Abbott-Thompson, Quill Dawes, Roma Duffy, Shannon Farrell, David Huare, Nico Lerma, Miles Lerma, Felix Rebolledo, Kieran Spear, Merle Traum and Thomas Winovich all headed to Credo High School. Yanely Colon, Eli Kelly, Sherlyn Molina, Damian Padilla and Emily Rowlands are going to Sonoma Valley High School. Salvador Diaz is going to Sonoma Academy, Sovann Somm to American Canyon High, and Gabriel Gunderson to New Tech High School in Napa. Akayla Galicia O’Sullivan, Dmetri Rose and Eliana Sheaves are undecided.