Class of 2002 - 8th Grade Ceremony

      I don’t want this time to be about a bunch of people standing up here giving our students speeches and talking at them. This a time for us to celebrate them - the first 8^th grade class to move-on from the Andrews Middle School - but one of the perks of being a principal is that is that I get to take a few minutes to talk.

     This has a been a year of change for each of our students sitting here today. You were settled in your middle school in grade 6 and 7.  Many of you attended the same school building that that you did in elementary and then, for your final year, you had to had to pick a new school from two that you had not seen and try to decide where to go without knowing the principal or who the teachers would be. 

     You had to give up a year of being kings of your old school- a privilege 8th graders get to enjoy after being the new kids on the blocks in 6th grade and the middle child in 7th grade. You entered Andrews in September and from day one, you have been a class of students who accepted the challenge of the change and worked to make the opening year of the Andrews one of the most outstanding years in my career and, I believe, that of many of our teachers.

     This year we celebrated the opening of your new school on one day and the very next faced the tears and the pain of September 11. We have to worked together, studied together, laughed, and joked, fought and disagreed. We have negotiated, agreed, disagreed and at times agreed to disagree. We have taken each new day, new event, and new time at the Andrews and said "What did our old school do an now what do we at the Andrews want to do." 

     You have been the leaders in laying the foundation of traditions that will be at the Andrews for many years and, although it was difficult to leave your old school and change - and this may not mean anything to you - but years from now, when your children enter the middle school, when you see something later in your life that reminds you about your middle school years, it will mean something to you then that you are the first 8th grade class that opened the Andrews Middle School. 

      It truly been an honor to be your principal this year. You have been honored me, the teachers, and your parents and families by your hard work and your success that we have celebrated this year.

My wish for each of you is...
   - That you always make time to study and work hard, and 
   - That you always take time to laugh and have fun.
   - That you always demand time to care for each other and be respectful to all, and
   - That you always create time to celebrate the uniqueness of your diversity.
   - That you always set aside time to set goals and strive for something better.
   - That you always take time to reflect and look back at where you have come from.
   - That you always make time to be true to yourself, and
   - That you always take time to appreciate and celebrate all that you have accomplished and feel proud of the person you are becoming.

[Hi Res Version]

Pulling For Kids Award:
   Officer Mike Byrnes

The Giant Step Forward Award:
   Michael Burgoyne

Madeleine Dugger Andrews Award:
   Anthony Pino