Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, and thank you for
joining us tonight for this most special event in our school year, the one in
which we express pride in our mutual accomplishments, the one in which we honor
our 5th Grade class.
Speaking of honor, it is both an honor and a pleasure to be
with you tonight to celebrate our eldest students, the culminating product of
our energies and our efforts over as many as six years at Woodland Heights
School. The young people that you see on
the risers beside me are our masterpiece, our crowning achievement, and in so
many ways they serve as the ‘top of the food chain’ within our student
society. They are our final exam, our
diploma, and although we often wish that our time together would never end, if
today is any indication, they are ready
to move on to Laconia Middle School. In
ways large and small, our 5th Graders set the tone for the school,
and lead by example, every moment of every day.
This year at WHS, we have had the honor of being led by a truly outstanding
5th Grade class – they were ‘bench worthy’ from the opening bell
this year, as we knew they would be. I
have had the good fortune to serve as your principal here at Woodland Heights
School for the past four years, and in the field of education for more than 25
years. I have known a lot of great kids
and worked with many outstanding 5th Grade classes. However, I don’t believe that I have ever
worked with a better group of 5th Graders than I have this year, and
I suspect that I may never be associated with a better one. Yes, this 5th Grade class is that good. Thank you, 5th Graders for what
you have done for our school this year, for its staff, for its students, and
for me, personally. By your example of
kindness, respect, and empathy, others have learned what it means to be a
Woodland Heights Wildcat, and that is hugely powerful. Don’t ever forget what a powerful and
positive teacher you can be for younger kids.
With that power of teaching comes responsibility. You have worn that responsibility well here
at WHS, and I would encourage to maintain that responsibility to younger people
for the balance of your lives.
To show you my appreciation for all that you have done for
all of us, I am going to give you the gift of wisdom – or at least I will try. I am going to share with you the best of what
I have learned working in schools and living a successful, contented, and happy
life. In my mind, here are the keys to health,
happiness, and true fulfillment. If you
embrace these qualities and make them standards for your life, you will be
ready for anything and everything that comes your way in the time ahead. However, for as sure as I am that you are
destined for great things, I know that some bad things will happen for you in
the future as well. The extent to which
you can overcome these challenges is directly related to how well you have
learned and embodied these five traits which demonstrate what being a Woodland
Wildcat is all about.
First ….. When the going gets tough, you will need Perseverance to overcome challenges, no
matter what they are. You will need to
stick with it, and never give up. You
will need the strength and discipline to see yourself through tough times, and
work toward getting yourself to the good times – because they are out there,
you have to just keep working toward them.
Perseverance: never give up!
Second ….. When you get knocked down, you will need Resilience to get back up. Bend, but don’t break. You will get knocked down and tripped up
somewhere along the line, but don’t ever let anyone keep you there. You will need to rise up, and get yourself
back on track. You are worth it. Never let go of your dreams, despite the
setbacks that are inevitable in life. Resilience:
bend, but don’t break.
Next …… Speaking of
dreams, you will need Confidence in
order to dream big dreams, think big thoughts, and turn them into reality. You will never accomplish great things if you
do not believe that you can. The biggest
difference between the people who do great things and those that don’t, is confidence. Successful people believe that they can be successful. They have a vision of success, they believe
in themselves, they get after it, and they make
it happen. Successful people have
the confidence they need to make the catch, clear the hurdle, nail the landing,
or hit the note. They are confident and
they are strong. Confidence: make it happen.
Probably the biggest key in working well with people, at
home, school, and work, is Empathy. If you have empathy, you can always see
someone else’s point of view, appreciate it, and respect it. You can put yourself in their shoes. Empathy will
give you the power to truly help others.
Thinking about others, and caring for others is one of the most
important qualities in being successful on any team, family, or in any
workplace. Empathy: to understand and help others.
And at the end of the day, it is all about Character – how truly good you are as a human being. Good intentions lead to good things. Just like you can’t do great things without
confidence, you also can’t do great things without good intentions. You must always think about how you can make
things better, help people out, do the
right thing. If you develop that
habit of thinking, good things will surely happen for you throughout your
schooling, and throughout your lives. Character:
do the right thing.
5th Graders, as if you weren’t smart enough,
there you have it. You now have wisdom: knowing what it takes to succeed.
Grade 5 Friends, it has truly been a pleasure to spend the
last four years in your presence, watching you grow, seeing your tremendous
work in our school. What an honor it has
been to serve as your school’s principal.
To watch you develop into the young people that you are has been an
enormous gift for me. Thank you for
inviting me to your special class celebration, and thank you for being who you
are. Now go show the Laconia Middle
School who you are, and from where you have come: YOU are Woodland Heights, and you always will be. Thank you, once again, everyone, and good
night.
