5 minute read
11 LESSONS: CAROLINE CALELLO, STUDENT GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT
Speech from Outgoing President of the Student Government, Caroline Calello
11 Lessons
“FAMILY, FRIENDS, FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION, AND MY FELLOW CLASSMATES, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME. It is my great honor to stand before you today after a year in which we faced challenges like never before. I am so proud of the Far Hills community and grateful to be able to celebrate together today. “In September of 2012, I entered Far Hills as a kindergartener in Ms. Cirelli’s class. I still remember proudly telling her that I picked out my outfit all by myself. Of course, it was the same tan romper every other girl was wearing. That was nine years ago. Some of you “the lifers” have been here even longer, eleven years. And here we are 11 years later, 11 first days of school later, 11 ‘Christmas is a Feeling’ later, 11 Field Days later (go white!), and 11 years full of memories. To commemorate each of these years, I am going to share 11 lessons that I have learned at Far Hills Country Day School.
“11: SAY GOOD MORNING, EVERY MORNING.
From Kindergarten good mornings with Mrs. Frustaci in the Piazza to Mr. Sansone and Mr. Thompson taking temperatures and playing fun and varied music, every day started with a simple good morning which prepared us for the day ahead. Saying good morning is a habit I hope I never lose.
“10: WIN THE DAY.
After good morning, Mr. Sansone always reminds us to ‘win the day.’ Do your best TODAY and take advantage of the opportunities and resources we have here at Far Hills to be our best. Winning the day is about understanding that to accomplish something, you need to collect little wins day after day to get the big victory.
“9: DON’T SHOW UP LATE TO MR. KRAMER’S CLASS. HARSH PENALTIES WILL BE IMPOSED. “8: BE A GOOD TEAMMATE.
In sixth grade, borrowing a field hockey stick from Mrs. Houghland and going out to play for the first time with the older girls in seventh and eighth grades was intimidating, but the encouragement they gave us set the tone for how we would treat the classes behind us.
Far Hills teaches us over and over about the importance of sportsmanship. Cheer each other on and keep spirits high. The support that I have received from all of my teammates on Far Hills teams has been amazing! Put it all out on the field, and remember how precious our time as Falcons really is.
“7: IF YOU’RE GOING TO BRING FOOD AND YOU DON’T WANT TO GET CAUGHT, BRING SOME FOR MS. SVENDSEN. ESPECIALLY IF IT’S JUNIOR MINTS. “6: PERSEVERE.
When I was in fifth grade and in Mrs. Iuliano’s math class, I remember struggling greatly with a specific worksheet. Math happened to be fourth period, so that meant that recess was next. I remember getting up to leave to join my friends, and Mrs. Iuliano asked me to stay and work with the problem for a little longer. I agreed, and eventually, after an additional 20 minutes, I finished the problem. Far Hills has taught me that if I want to succeed, I need to be resilient and not give up.
Sometimes we make mistakes, and when we do, we need to admit it and learn to be better. I probably learned more from the mistakes I made than I did from the things that came easy to me. I bet every single one of my classmates could think of a time they did something they were not especially proud of but has made them better equipped for better choices in the future. Mr. Freeman deserves a special shout-out for this particular point: if it’s not going well, take a reset and go sit in the hall.
“4: IN ‘CHRISTMAS IS A FEELING,’ MAKE SURE TO ENUNCIATE ‘LA-ST ALL YEAR.’ “3: SAY YES.
At the end of last school year, Mr. Thompson wrote to me to encourage me to take chances and say yes. Whether it was Student Government, Ethics Bowl, Service Learning, or the Leap of Faith in the Ropes Course, I’m not sorry I did. Maybe for some of you, it was trying out for the play or tackling a tough Expo topic. Our teachers at Far Hills give us courage to take chances and say yes, even when it seems hard.
“2: DO NOT GO WHITE WATER RAFTING IN A LIGHTNING STORM.
Especially if you are a little sick. Or even really sick. But if you find yourself on the riverbank waiting for the storm to pass, hopefully, you will be lucky enough to have good friends by your side. Which leads me to my last lesson:
“1: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP.
I have known most of you for a long time—at least a long time in our young lives. We have learned how to be good friends, how to forgive each other, and care for each other, and how to support and cheer for each other. I hope that I can continue to support and cheer for each and every one of you for the rest of our lives. “We have so much to be grateful for in our Far Hills family. It’s impossible to name it all. Let me just say thank you for giving this class of Falcons our wings to fly wherever life takes us. We will always take these lessons with us. Thank you.”
This year at Graduation, we all shared a special sentiment when four Far Hills Alumni had the privilege of presenting their children with the treasured Far Hills Alumni pin. What’s even more astounding? Three of the four alumni all share the same Far Hills graduation year, the Class of 1989. Roger Christman ’89, Trent Miller ’89, Andrew Scott ’89, and Jordan Ehmann (Price) ’93 all shared in a special moment as they continue to bestow the legacy of Far Hills on to their children. Photographed here: Jordan Ehmann (Price) ’93 and daughter Taylor ’21, Trent Miller ’89 and daughter Blair ’21, Andrew Scott ’89 and son Henry ’21, and Roger Christman ’89 and son Tripp ’21 at the Green and White Dinner, June 9, 2021.
