今日は卒業式の予行演習。私は2年生の担任なので、生徒を予行演習に連れて行き、明日に備えて流れをつかませることで仕事は終了。生徒は試験前なので、残って勉強していた。私は同僚の先生方と近くのカフェでのんびり昼食をとった後、来年度のクラス編成会議。その後仕事をしていたら、2年前に教えていた今の3年生が卒業アルバムを持って「一言下さい」とぞろぞろやってきた。2年も離れていたのに、ちゃんと覚えていてくれるんだね、とひそかに感動しながら「人には愛を、世界には平和を、これが君たちが生きる道だ」と偉そうにコメントをした。でも本音。次の世代を担うあの子たちが他人に愛情を注ぎ、平和を第一に考えてくれるなら、あの子たちが英語なんてできなくたって構わない（いやそんなことはないのだが）、とさえ思えてくる。卒業おめでとう。もしもあの子たちがたまに学校に会いに帰ってくるなら、この学校を離れられなくなるな。

Today we had a rehearsal for the graduation ceremony.  I am in charge of the 11th graders, so I just took them to the gym and had them grasp the flow of the ceremony.  After that, most students went home, and others stay at school and studied for the final exams.  I went out for lunch with some coworkers.  In the afternoon, we had a meeting for making the new home-room classes for the next school year.  Then I was finishing up some works; meanwhile, some graduates came to me with their school photo album and asked me to write them a message.  I was a little moved that they remembered I taught them for one year (two years ago).  My message was "Love for people, peace for the world, this is the way you must go."  I just tried to sound important...
But I would be so happy if all of my students would live with such  a motto.  I would not mind if they gave up on English study...  maybe I would...  　If they sometimes come back to this school to see us, it will be difficult for me to leave this school...

                                        Anyway, congratulations on your graduation, dear students.