Graduation Speech : Children, Families, And Friends

Once again, I must reiterate the importance of this prodigious achievement for us to be graduating from middle school, One of the key steps in your academic success. Today – right here on this stage you will witness us receiving something that is a representation of all our hard work and diligence we’ve vested within our education over the past three years. Now it is time to flip the page and begin another fulfilling and interesting chapter of our lives – High School. I think some of the most momentous events in a student’s life is none other than graduations. And since it is the end of this stage in our education, it brings us a mixture of joy and pain. Joy for reaching our goals, and pain for saying goodbye to the people who became a part of our lives and helped us succeed here at HMS.

How are you doing? This is Will, the tall black guy you would sometimes see in service. I'm writing to say goodbye. My project in Carson City came to an end and I've moved back to Texas. Thank you so much for making me feel at home at Hope. Your messages kept me going while I was in Reno. God used your words to truly bless me and also show me where I need to improve. Sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye in person, but everything happened so fast.

For those of you who are terrified of going into Junior High...don’t be. It’ll be a breeze, at least for most of you. Just remember that you have help all around you whether it’s a teacher a classmate or a even your parents. I can remember a time when I was in Elementary School and I was afraid to transfer into Jr. High. Well now I’m afraid to go into High School. That’s why I’m here to help you through your fear. Some of the most important things in Jr. High is your academics, your personal responsibility, and your social life.

America's gift to our generation is that we have so many opportunities. We have the freedom and safety to pick what we want to do in life. We don't have to go to sleep worrying about if someone is going to come invade our house. We also get great education. Even tho people don't like going to school they should be thankful because a lot of kids don't have schools or can't afford to go to them. The stuff you learn at school will help you a lot with your future like if you want to work at a store than math will help you with the money or if you want to be a teacher than you can go to college and learn to be a teacher. Safety is something we should all be thankful for because a lot of countries have to worry about being safe. We don't have

As result of creating and implementing this artifact, I realized that the most effective lesson plans are those which initiate with the final assessment in mind. So, I applied a pre-test at the very beginning of my lessons with every different group I would be teaching to measure a starting point or the amount of pre-existing knowledge on the topics to be taught. Based on this, I planned the instruction to deliver and how to differentiate it.

Welcome everyone who has accompanied me here today. Today is the day where we are 8th graders for the very last time. Many of us have matured over the last two year and some of us still need more time to bloom. We have faced many challenges over the course of the school years here at Ladera vista, after waves of work putting us down, yet our determination keeps us afloat. The environment here at this school is amazing. Everyone here is friendly and wants you to succeed (almost everyone).

I remember seventh grade like it was yesterday. Everything was falling into place. I was happy with my life, had a strong relationship with God, and was content with where I was headed. My elementary and middle school years were just like any other Catholic school student. My schedule consisted of going to school, attending church, a sports practice, and then completing homework like everyone else. It wasn’t until eighth grade, where I was uprooted from that cookie cutter lifestyle, that I was actually challenged and pushed harder to be the best person possible, and to overcome the diversity and influences that I faced in the public school setting.

“No one is ever going to believe in yourself for you” –The Color Morale; a statement I’ve known all too well. For as long as I can recollect I have continually struggled with my self-worth. As a child my parents always preached about the importance of an education, “In order to be someone in this world you have to have an education.’ The words were engraved in my head and for a while my main focus was my education and pushing myself to my full potential. Growing up I consistently made honor roll. Elementary school consisted of me changing to specific classes that were designated for students who were academically above the rest of the grade level. I took much pride in my education and there was nothing that could stir me off course.

On October 27, 2016, I observed the physical, cognitive, social, and spiritual development of Ella, a six-year-old female first grader, along with her younger brother, three-year-old Oliver. The observation was conducted in the children’s home in Sioux Center, Iowa. The children’s mother consented to the observation as evidenced by the signed consent form found at the end of the report. The father was aware of my prerogatives and was away at work while the mother was present in the adjacent room teaching violin lessons.

From my kindergarten beginnings up to my recent experiences, I have always wondered about the world around me and always tried to put others needs before myself. My father also thought of me as a caring philosophy due to things like questioning about “What is death?”at a young age. My elementary school, Foothill Oak, has shaped some prejudices and arrogance that I did my best to hide and fix through my middle school through high school.

Grammar school, middle school, and most high schools share one thing in common; they offer the same basic history, math, English, science, and social science course. By the time high school comes around students have already learned the same things again but only this time it is harder and more in depth. College becomes a time that a student really begins to learn about what they want to do with the rest of their lives. When applying to college, applicants don’t apply to learn math, English, history, and science. They apply to learn just math, English, Art, Business, Biology, Chemistry, Criminal Justice and many others. By having a core curriculum, it takes away time that students have to learn deeply about their program of interest. However, if colleges and universities focused more on the curriculum of student’s majors, and less on the core curriculum, these students may have a better understanding of what they want and less chance of graduating late.

It all started when I was a senior in high school and I was taking my final English class required to graduate. At first I had the attitude of a typical senior student with a bad case of “senioritis”, but that all changed once my teacher Ms. Wade began her lesson plan. I immediately fell in love with her teaching style and her enthusiasm for English, which seemed rare to come by with teachers who taught a senior level class. It was then that I knew I wanted to become a teacher and possibly major in English. Fast forward a few years, I started dating my fiancé and was introduced to his niece (age 6) and nephew (age 2). At that point I had a flood of memories of when I was student in elementary school and remembered how much I enjoyed going to school, learning basic knowledge like my ABC’s, and more importantly how my teacher brought me happiness and the desire to learn new things in a fun, exciting and safe environment. When I came back this semester to Daytona State College I was informed of a new program they offered, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSED) and knew it was meant to be. After speaking with an advisor and some of my peers it was clear this is the career path I wanted to take and with hard work and determination I would eventually become an elementary school teacher.

I volunteered at W.B Sweeney Elementary School in Willimantic, Connecticut. I was with children in grades kindergarten through fifth for two hours after school every Monday this past semester. I thoroughly enjoyed helping them with homework, doing activities, and just getting to know them individually. I grew as a person from this opportunity, learned more about the field I am planning on entering, and broadened my experience with children overall.

I want to thank everyone here for participating in our graduation ceremony. This event marks the end of our middle school career and the beginning of a fresh experience. You might have noticed that many of us has gone through significant changes. Maybe you still remember the first day of when we were all just 6th graders wandering through the hallways. Trying to discover new things. Some of us forgot the the passcodes for lunch and most of us were eager to find friends. We have changed a lot since then and continue to change for the better.

Home is where your family is, and seven years ago, my “home” became Wilton Baptist Church. I had just turned twelve when my dad became the full-time pastor in Wilton, but I never thought a group of people could make me feel like I have known them forever. The past seven years has felt like a lifetime. While Wilton has an estimated seventy to eighty members, we are considered a “small” church. I realize that being small allows the members to have a stronger bond with one another that allows us to grow stronger together with God and each other as a family. Trust me, we are nowhere near perfect. There are times where we can get on each other’s nerves or have different opinions on certain situations, but families don’t always get along. We are humans that make mistakes, but we forgive and love each other no matter what. Over the past seven years, I realized how important they are to me, especially during the time of my high school graduation.