Eighth Grade Moving-Up Ceremony Highlights Student Achievement

By Susan Coney

The Eighth Grade Moving-Up Ceremony was held for the second year in a row at The O’Neill Center of the Western Connecticut State University campus on Thursday, June 23. The event honoring the 424 eighth graders was well attended as families gathered to celebrate the festive occasion. The students were decked out in their best; many of the boys sporting ties and the girls in sophisticated dresses and high heels, no longer resembled the little kids that had entered the middle school just a few years ago.

Principal Diane Sherlock greeted the students and their families making it clear that the evening’s celebration was about spotlighting the students and their achievements.

Eighth grader Sonia Brand-Fisher sang the “Star Spangled Banner” with beautiful clarity. Kelsey Hopper and Allyson Makuch teamed up to give a performance of “For Good” from the musical Wicked.

Student representatives from each cluster reflected on the past year. Emily Demarco from the Blue Cluster said, “It’s hard to believe that this is the last memory of middle school; remember all the fun we had.” She went on to say that entering the eighth grade last fall the students became part of a 100-person family, your cluster, which is your family for the year. She went on to reflect on the highlights of the year such as the Eighth Grade Talent Show, the class trip to Washington, D.C., and Gettysburg as well as the final dance of the school year.

Sonia Brand-Fisher spoke on behalf of the Green Cluster. She was excited by the next “academic odyssey,” high school, where students would be given more freedom and more academic choices. Sonia advised her classmates that high school would be “a good opportunity to expand your knowledge as well as your social prospects. Good luck to the Class of 2009,” she said.

Lauren Sudbey from the Orange Cluster related the talents of her peers in the areas of music, athletic achievements, academics, and community service. She advised, “Self discovery comes in many forms. We are ready to grow up. We must learn to test ourselves and each other.”

Emma Knickerbocker from the Purple Cluster spoke from a different perspective, recalling that the Class of 2009 was the one that initially began sixth grade at Newtown Middle School, then moved over to Reed Intermediate when it opened midyear. She reflected on how that had been a unique experience that no other group of students will ever have. She talked of how students from four elementary schools merged together at the middle school, moved over to the intermediate school and then reentered the middle school for their seventh grade year. Emma said, “We were a group of new and old friends, we became our own support team.”

Andrew Meisel from the Red Cluster related how classroom lessons, field trips, books read, and projects created during the middle school years connected with the real world and made them more capable students. He said, “Just about everything you learned about in seventh and eighth grade will be an important link to our future.”

The following students were recipients of special awards presented at the Moving-Up Ceremony:

Alanna Gilbert and Dylan Kelleher received the Connecticut Association of School Student Leader Award. This award goes to a girl and boy who demonstrate a minimum average of 85 percent and outstanding leadership abilities. They must show that they make good decisions, influence their peers in upholding the school’s ideals, contribute ideas that improve the civic life of the school, and exemplify desirable traits of higher character and integrity.

Jacob Woolf received The Sons of the American Revolution Award for his leadership abilities. Mary Kate George was presented with the Secretary of State Excellence in Citizenship Award, which recognizes active participation in civic activities, good citizenship and school involvement. Gretchen Hoffmann earned the Weller Foundation Award, which is presented to the student who has attained the highest academic average in the class.

Jensine Eckwall received the Elk’s Award, which is presented to a student who contributes in all areas of endeavor. Jensine wrote and illustrated a cookbook that was published and then donated the proceeds to charity. She is involved in many academic and social areas, and is an excellent art and French student.

The Superintendent’s Award was presented to Lauren Sudbey and Hiram Orama. This award is sponsored by the Western Connecticut Association of Superintendent’s of schools and is presented to a boy and girl from each middle school region. To be eligible, a student must demonstrate academic prowess relative to ability, community service and leadership in the local community.

The Scholar Leader Award is presented by the Connecticut Association of Schools to a boy and girl from each middle school in the state who demonstrate minimum averages of 85 percent and outstanding leadership abilities. This award was given to Kevin Bonacci and Renee Rushefski.

The Michaels Jewelers Award goes to a boy and girl who have demonstrated good citizenship, fair play, hard work, involvement in school activities, consistent and positive social behavior throughout the school year, and academic records consistent with ability. This year the Michaels Jewelers Award went to John Grimaldi and Keegan Frobey.

Mackenzie Fuller was the recipient of the Ellen Rogers Award, which goes to a student who has demonstrated great progress in personal development and is generous to others. This is a two-year award, therefore nominees must be a student who has been enrolled in the Middle School for both seventh and eighth grades.

Marking their official “moving up” to the high school, each student was presented with a Certificate of Achievement and took the stage to receive congratulations from Principal Diane Sherlock, Assistant Principal Kathy Boettner, Superintendent Evan Pitkoff, and Interim High School Principal Patricia Llodra.

Each of the classes’ five clusters recognized students for the highest academic average, character based growth in the area of personal growth and academic achievement, individual academic achievements, and creativity. Students excelling in world language were also recognized with a special award.

Cluster 8 Blue Awards — Highest cluster academic average, Ashley Rothacker; Language Arts, Biota Hung; Mathematics, Brianna Liotta; Integrated Math, Ashley Rothacker; Science, Renee Rushefski; Social Studies, Paul Garofalo; Reading, Rachel Marcucilli; Citizenship, Rebecca Trosan; Personal Growth/Academic Progress, Salena Cabral; Creativity, John List.

Cluster 8 Green Awards — Highest cluster academic average, Michael Nataro; Language Arts, Natalie Villa; Mathematics, Dakota France; Integrated Math, Makena Cunningham; Science, Meaghan McCarthy; Social Studies, Akshay Agashe; Reading, Olivia Dillon; Citizenship, Patrick Pennarola; Personal Growth/Academic Progress, Geoffrey Allison; Creativity, Zachary Gordon.

Cluster 8 Orange Awards — Highest cluster academic average, Katherine Temple; Language Arts, Michael Hajzer; Mathematics, Christina Hartlett; Science, Victoria Mead; Social Studies, Charles Spath; Citizenship, Michael McDonald; Personal Growth/Academic Progress, Heather Gantt; Creativity, Andrew Mangold.

Cluster 8 Purple Awards — Highest cluster academic average, Alanna Gilbert; Language Arts, Emma Knickerbocker; Mathematics, Bonnie Lundblad; Science, Laura Newberry; Social Studies, Kevin Canavan; Citizenship, Autumn Ingram; Personal Growth/Academic Progress, Courtney Thompson.

Cluster 8 Red Awards — Highest cluster academic average, Gretchen Hoffman; Language Arts, Danielle Norris; Mathematics, Linda Magliocco; Integrated Math, Keegan Frobey; Science, Anthony Fragoso; Social Studies, Harrison Gillis; Citizenship, Michele Haiz; Personal Growth/Academic Progress, Jim Zarifis; Creativity, Kelsey Hopper.

World Language Awards — French: Alanna Gilbert, Alyssa Carey; Spanish: Cristin Carlin, Adelle Cerreta, Gretchen Hoffman, Emily North, Linda Magliocco, Michael Notaro, Patrick Pennarola, and Natalie Villa.