New beginnings and farewells at the charter school

There are a lot of changes at Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School. Summer’s finally arrived, top leadership is changing at the school, and a longtime teacher is retiring. And in West Tisbury on Saturday, the charter school’s class of 2026 turned the page to the next chapter in their lives. 

The charter school community gathered this weekend under a white tent set up on the campus to celebrate the 15 seniors who make up the class of 2026. It’s the largest graduating class since 2022, when the same number of students graduated, and the celebration was full of cheer, camaraderie, and emotional moments. 

“Welcome to the class of 2026!” Pete Steedman, director of the charter school, exclaimed, as the seniors walked across the grass while “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac played on the speakers. Applause erupted from family, friends, and peers as the seniors took to the stage and donned their flower crowns. 

The graduating class included the following students: Amanda Martins Silva, Angel M. Walker, Aubriel V. Tomkins, Bangii-Kai Albert Bettencourt, Gabriela C. Lino, Ian Patricio, Jack S.H. Baer, Kali Spain, Karyn Winter Muric, Landen W. Elderkin, Nicola Josephine Capece, Phoebe Suzannah Nichols, Reid Kerns, Rosemary Hackett Smilie, and Wyatt McCarthy. 

Sheila McHugh Hazell, charter school board president, said the aspect she loves most about the school is that “there’s no single path to it or through it,” and students develop into young adults through various experiences from the classrooms to the farms on the Island. 

“Some of these graduates sitting before us started here in kindergarten, just beyond the playground,” Hazell said. “Others joined along the way from different schools, communities, and different parts of the world.” 

Steedman chose “fortitude” as the word to define the class of 2026, highlighting the rigor of the students’ studies, facing new experiences and fears “no matter how large the obstacle they created in their minds,” and being able “to be true to themselves, to embrace who they really are.” 

And where did this fortitude come from? Steedman said while it could’ve come from family, teachers, or various experiences, the exit interviews with the seniors revealed how much they gained from each other.

“It appears that the fortitude … they learned from being around their fellow classmates,” Steedman said. 

Commencement speaker Victoria Dryfoos, a Spanish teacher and college and career counselor at the charter school, said she thinks of the ocean when asked what makes the class of 2026 special, calling them “energetic, powerful, unforgettable” waves that leave an impact. 

Students received scholarships from various organizations, including the Portuguese American Club and the NAACP of Martha’s Vineyard, to support their goals, whether that be aspirations as an artist, video game designer, chef, pharmacist, or journalist. Faculty and younger students also provided personalized gifts to each graduating senior based on their interests. 

But the class didn’t just receive. The class of 2026 also gave another gift to the school: two silks, indigo, yellow and white and another pink, to be a part of future graduation tents.

The seniors weren’t the only ones who are departing the school this year. Kim Komarinetz, who joined the charter school 27 years ago to help establish the first and second grade programs, is retiring as a teacher. Steedman and Scott Goldin, assistant director, are each departing to different employers the next school year, Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis and Edgartown School respectively. They partnered to develop programming at the Vineyard charter school over the years, including bringing the International Baccalaureate program and leading the school through the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll be replaced by incoming director Christopher Nace and assistant director Danielle Charbonneau. 

Steedman highlighted the individualized approach of the Vineyard charter school that helped produce a talented cohort of young adults. But Steedman said he’s also received a lot from the school as a leader and as a person. And while there have been difficulties over the years, he also called the school a special place. 

“It’s been so rewarding to be a part of this community and to go through those challenges, but also on a day like today when we can celebrate the incredible accomplishments of this group of people together,” Steedman said, referring to the graduates. “I will never ever have this kind of community in my life again. It’s truly unique.” 

Before receiving their diplomas, each student was also given the opportunity to give a graduation address, some emotional as they highlighted the importance of their peers and experiences at the charter school toward their personal development.

“Something has all brought us here, from the warm [area] of Goiania, Brazil to those who called these cold coasts home all of their lives,” Bellecourt said. 

“There is something so unique and special about our individual experiences,” Bellecourt added. “All of our paths have joined together for the past four years.”

The graduates stepped out of the tent to Joan Baez’s cover of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” playing from the loudspeaker, hugging their parents and friends and beaming as they thought of the future.