Graduation

ALUMNA SARAH HOLSBERG ’10 “Thank you, Ms. Miller and Ms. Thorne, for the opportunity to speak this afternoon. My name is Sarah Holsberg. I am an Early Childhood Education and English double major at SUNY Geneseo. I went to the Berkeley Carroll School in Park Slope, Brooklyn for middle school and high school. I graduated from Parkside in 2010 and graduated from high school in 2017. When I was at Berkeley Carroll, I swam on the swim team, performed in musical productions, played clarinet and baritone saxophone, sang in the choir, and created a twelve-foot tall self-portrait of myself. I was accepted into all of the colleges I applied to, and I have the opportunity, through my majors, to reflect on my education and how it has impacted my life. Now, through staying in touch with Ms. Miller and Ms. and still remember the lyrics to the “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” parody he played during class. I made great friendships with my classmates, and even though it has been difficult to stay in touch, I still appreciated the friendships of Ian, Andrea, Paloma, Galen, Georgia, and Tia, as well as my other classmates. I sang in the choir with Ms. Anne and lip-synced my first concert at the Barnes and Noble Book Fair. It was my first concert, and I was nervous. I walked in the Walk-a-Thon for Haiti, and I was so inspired by my ability to make a difference that I am now in a community service organization in college. I read some of my favorite books, including the Percy Jackson series, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle, and even read Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night during my time at Parkside. I even performed as the goddess Artemis in Ms. GIVES KEYNOT ADDRESS AT GRADUATION Thorne, I can share these reflections with Cahn’s class, and made my own costume all of you. out of a pillowcase and butterfly stickers. B. I laughed along with Mr. Vargas’ jokes, I deeply appreciated my appointments with My time at Parkside helped me come out Ms. Scovel, Ms. Schlegel, and Ms. Tuohy, of my shell. I didn’t speak a word until I was and they helped me come out of my shell two, and I felt uncomfortable looking at in ways I am grateful for years later. I wrote people in the eye. I initially thought that if I poems in my classes, and I have a love of looked someone in the eye, that it was me reading and writing that has served me well picking a fight, and not me looking up as a as an English major. Friday mornings were sign of trust. I needed a learning environ- my favorite days of the week, because I got ment that was secure, loving, and close- to attend Advanced Art with Ms. Brunner knit, and my parents found that in Parkside. and work on my artistic skills. I still have I did a wheel pose with the help of Mr. drawing of Emperor Palpatine from Star Hanuer. I learned how to juggle from Mr. Wars, which originally was my biggest fear. my old sketchbooks, and look fondly at the

When I think back to my first time walking up the stairs of Parkside, each step seemed large and intimidating. The spiral stairs made me dizzy, and I nearly tripped walking up and down the stairs. The stairs may not be the biggest obstacle in my life now, but Parkside has taught me to view each obstacle with compassion and courage.

Some of you may have been preparing for middle school for a long time. For others of you, the thought hasn’t occurred to you until you sat in for this graduation ceremony. For most of you, your response is somewhere in between. I know this was true for me.

One incredible gift that Parkside gave me is the freedom to learn about my passions. I love reading about Greek mythology, crocheting, writing, and drawing. When I first came to middle school, there were so many people who already knew each other, and I wasn’t the loudest person in the room to begin with. In art class, I started drawing pictures of the people around me, and someone noticed. I started sharing my talent with the rest of my classmates, and it made me feel good to make people happy. When you share your gifts with other people, you will find people who will appreciate them. This will help you find people who have the same interests as you and create connections where there once were none.

Of course, in my experience, someone noticed that I was drawing. I resolved after that to be the person who reaches out to other people that other people wouldn’t talk to. I would not exclude people or limit my friendships to only the people I felt were my best friends. I wasn’t perfect about this, but I made an active effort to be an inclusive person. Reach out to the person who is sitting by themselves in the cafeteria or needs a partner for an in-class assignment. Reach out to the person who you might not ordinarily talk to. It might make the biggest difference in your life, or in theirs.

At Parkside, I was so grateful that I had so many great teachers and therapists who helped me. I felt completely at home in each of my classrooms, and if I had any issues, they always had good advice on how to solve them. In middle school, it is natural that you are expected to be more independent. Your teachers won’t be able to keep the same eye on you as your Parkside teachers, and some of you might be in bigger classrooms than at Parkside. 37 Maybe you were feeling like you wanted to be more independent in your fifth-grade classrooms, which is completely understandable. Even in your independence, there are going to be times where you need help. It may be intimidating to ask, and maybe you might not be sure on what you are asking. Asking for help is something that I am working on every day, but if you start now, you will already have one of the biggest skills to succeeding in middle school, on an academic and interpersonal level. In this tumultuous time, qualities like empathy, inclusivity, and curiosity are desperately needed. It is up to you to model these qualities, to show the world your gifts and your talents. Your education at Parkside is a privilege that cannot be taken away from you. Cherish the memories and friendships you have made here, but look towards the future. The future needs you. “

To the CLASS OF 2020...

Congratulations. You’ve proven this year that you have what it takes to move on to middle school, and to achieve great things as compassionate, caring individuals. We can’t wait to welcome you back through those red doors on 74th Street as alumni, when it is safe to do so.

Ongoing schools: Summit School, Lowell School, Community School, Winston Prep, Mot Hall II, Cooke Academy, Aaron School, Browning School