Every Hyla student knows the drill: they peer into a big bowl of brightly colored beads and make an important choice. We welcome new students to Hyla with the bead ceremony to begin a process of belonging and start a conversation about individual and collective identity. Students choose a bead that best reflects some characteristic or attribute they are especially proud to bring to the Hyla community. As they share their beads and thoughts with classmates, they get to know each other in new ways, and they begin to assert their own identity in new ways. Some talk about athletic abilities while others share a commitment to kindness. Some want to be known for academic talents. Some talk about being a true friend. Every year, a new collection of beads, representing a new group of students, is artfully arranged and symbolically displayed on campus.

Making a choice about what you bring to school or community isn’t just a one-time activity, but instead a healthy practice that we cultivate with students through ongoing conversation. “We try to get students to see each day as an effort to bring their best selves to the community,” says Jeff. “It’s also a message of belonging.” When new students joined the 7^th grade class this year, Jeff knew there was an opportunity to welcome them through tradition so they could add their own texture, personality, and contributions to their unique whole. Returning to the bead ceremony allowed new students to choose their own beads. It was also a chance for returning students to change their beads, or what their beads represent. Jeff reminds students that these years are full of change and growth and that there is endless opportunity in that ongoing process by asking them, “What would this community be like if every one of us was our best self? What kind of freedom would we have?” Jeff explains that through the bead ceremony, students learn that “in a supportive community where change is accepted, you can try new things.” After reflection and conversation, the 7^th grade decided to shape their beads into a sphere, to represent their sense of connection and global interdependence at this moment in time.

The bead ceremony celebrates individuality and cohesion, and the class sculptures created with the beads symbolize connection and growth as a class. Beads are returned to students at graduation, in gratitude for what they brought to Hyla, and with encouragement to keep proudly sharing their unique selves with the world.