It was a special day in the Kralovec family with Oliver’s graduation from the Tashkent International School yesterday. Oliver received his high school diploma as part of the TIS Class of 2024. We were all emotional to see him complete his PK-12 education and we are very proud of his accomplishments.
The graduation ceremony is traditionally held in “the quad” an open area outside, adjacent to the TIS Park. Community members love the forested central area of the campus and it provides a backdrop to the stage. The only problem with an outdoor ceremony is always the weather. Will rain force the ceremony inside? Tashkent technically has a “Mediterranean” climate (Köppen Climate Csa) which means “hot, dry summers”. Our graduation ceremony is held near the end of May which usually has higher temperatures and less rain. However, for two of the last three years, rain was forecasted. Two years ago we had to move the ceremony to the gym. As the director, I am ultimately responsible for deciding where the ceremony will take place. The leadership team looked at forecasts and satellite images for the past couple of days and tried to make a data-driven decision. A wrong call would result in either, a downpour during the ceremony, or a bright sunny late afternoon and everyone wondering why were inside on such a beautiful day. Ultimately, we decided to go with the wishes of the students who wanted it outside, and the weather reports indicated rain clouds slowly subsiding throughout the afternoon. We were worried about the decision when it was still drizzling around 2:00 PM, four hours before the ceremony was to begin, but thankfully, the sun came out around 4:00 PM and despite the damp grass, it turned out to be a lovely day. I have a theory that climate change is causing spring rains to move further into the summer.
We are excited for Oliver to start his journey towards adulthood. We are sad that another of our babies is leaving the nest. Nadia and I are heartbroken to be down to 3. I wish Oliver a life full of ups and downs and the opportunity to experience all it has to offer.
Bill's Blog 