Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District middle school students moving onto the next step of their education were celebrated this past week in a special “Middle School Rites of Passage Celebration” at the John Adams Middle School (JAMS) Performing Arts Studio and Courtyard.
Rites of Passage ceremonies serve as communal cultural events that highlight the transition from middle school to high school, with this year’s event featuring several student speakers talking about their time at JAMS, Lincoln Middle School and Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH).
The ceremony also featured a keynote speech from Santa Monica College Professor of Ethnic Studies Trisden Shaw, as well as a communal drum and dance libation performance from Makossa.
thomas@smdp.com