8th-GRADE MOVING ON CEREMONY

Cherishing the Past and Embracing the Future

by David Kirkland

EACH YEAR WHEN I SIT DOWN to write this speech, I think about the kids who are moving on. What are their passions? What are their hopes for the future? What are their fears? How did their time at Valley School shape the people they will be as adults? What words of encouragement can I share with them as they begin their new adventures?

As I look at you as 8th-graders today, I have come to know each of you in a special way. I have learned from you the many passions and interests that you have shared with us. Most importantly, I have come to understand that, implicitly, you love to learn. You are inquisitive. You want to learn more about the world and what it has to offer you, and you never have stopped asking questions about the variety of topics and stories that you have learned and heard over the years. You are determined to persevere, and you take great care in your learning so as to produce quality work that means something. Even recently, as you finished your 8th-grade English and Language Arts final exam, you worked tirelessly and with such great effort to put together quality responses and essays. These characteristics that are unique to each of you are remarkable, and I am confident that they will lead you to have fascinating and outstanding futures. Today, I challenge each of you to remain inquisitive. Keep learning and searching for more… as learning is lifelong. Make mistakes so that you may grow from them. Continue to be fascinated by the world around you. Travel, explore new lands, visit great cities, interact with new cultures, taste new foods, and meet and help new and interesting people. Never stop and never lose the thirst for knowledge that you always have shared with us.

Dr. Seuss once wrote, “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” I’m sure that many of you, our students who are moving on to other schools, will think back on your years at Valley and see them as happy, challenging, and carefree times. Others will certainly follow Dr. Seuss’ words and not truly value your time with us until it becomes a memory. Either way, know that your time with us has affected all of us and made us all better people. You have taught us to be better educators, to be better friends, and better coaches. Our hope is that you also believe that we have affected your life in the same way for the better, and you take the knowledge, the experience, and the friendships with you, and cherish these moments always.

What will the future look like for you? What remains in store for you as you continue to grow? I am not sure what your future will look like, or what you will be when you grow up. I do know that if you work hard, develop your passions, and continue to learn and question while finding out what you enjoy doing, your future will be more clear to you. My hope is that your futures are bright and memorable. I challenge each of you to live your best life, to find what you love doing and do that each and every day. I challenge each of you to be good problem solvers and help those who cannot help themselves and continue to find ways to affect change. Don’t worry about being successful; success will come when you work hard at becoming good at something. Strive to be your best and demonstrate the effort to be the best at all things that you do. Most of all, be a good person. People may not always believe the things you say, but they will believe the things you do. Be true to yourself and keep your word. Look beyond the ordinary and seek out new and exciting ways to live your best life and to always help others along the way.

Whether you are moving on or staying at Valley School, the faces in your class will change and be different. You will need to seek out new friends or strengthen old relationships, interact with new teachers or foster relationships with your old ones, and come to find comfort in brand new hallways or trust the ones you have walked for years. If you are moving on, talk to people you don’t know, and step out of your comfort zone to try something new. Try a new sport or join a new club. Most of all, continue to be kind to others. You are forging ahead into new, unchartered waters. Make the most of this adventure.

Cherish and remember each moment. Remember the good times: the walks in the magic forest and finding animals and fishing in the stream, the visits to the science room to visit the fish and Ms. Wright, the many books that you read from the library, the kickball and football games on the lawn behind the gym, the problems you solved in productive struggles, the debates in ELA and history classes, the ceramic pieces that you molded, the music that you learned to read and play, the explorations with robotics and programming, the unit on ancient Greece in 6th-grade ELA, the many visits to chapel with your Bigs and Littles, the mistakes you made from which you picked yourself up and started fresh, and so much more. Keep Dr. Seuss’ words in mind; embrace each moment in time. “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” These experiences have shaped the person that you have become. The good times haved help you and so have the challenging times. These moments in time will shape your memory and the person you are meant to be in this life. Let these times guide you into your future.

Today, I congratulate you on your accomplishments in the classroom, on the playing fields, and in your relationships with others. I hope that you will cherish all of your good times and learn from the challenges that you faced along the way. Remember that Valley will always be your home. Forge ahead confidently in the knowledge that we, along with your parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends, have helped build your foundation and your future is very bright. When you look back at this moment when you are older, I hope you think of it as a good memory and as a point in time in your life that forever changed you! Good luck in all that you do and in all that you are meant to be!

“Remember that Valley will always be your home.”