Plains eighth grade students transition to high school
<p>Thom Chisholm shares a light moment with a student as he accepts his graduation certificate during the eighth grade commencement ceremony on Wednesday.</p>
PLAINS - With a little pomp and circumstance, the eighth grade class at Plains Elementary School celebrated their graduation on Wednesday at the high school gym. Around 200 family, friends, and teachers and were in attendance to witness the end of one phase in life and the beginning of the high school phase.
With proud parents and teachers looking on, the eighth grade class made their way into the gym in pairs before being seated on bleachers to the left of the stage.
High School Principal Larry McDonald welcomed the crowd and introduced the day’s guest speaker, shop teacher Nathan Friesz. Friesz stood at the podium and delivered an impassioned speech to the students.
“Together we have accomplished a lot for this community. We built park benches and other community projects,” said Friesz. “Those are all good things but the most important thing is the impression you leave behind. I hope I have left a good impression on all of you.”
Friesz went on to say “I want you all to remember to have a sense of self-awareness and of safety for each other.”
Friesz was honored with a standing ovation from the class of 2013 and some members of the audience. Friesz will not be returning as the shop teacher for Plains schools as his contract was not renewed for the next school year.
Following the speech by Friesz were a few remarks from McDonald and Superintendent Thom Chisholm before the certificates marking the transition to high school were handed out.
One by one, the entire graduating class made their way across the stage, most stopping to shake the hands of school representatives. Some stopped to pose for pictures, others seemed in a hurry to begin summer vacation.
After all students had received their certificates of achievement, Chisholm introduced the graduating class to the approving crowd before calling the ceremony to an end. The last day of classes for the graduates was Friday.
As the students left the gym for the last time as students of the junior high school, they took one more step along the path of education for the youth of Plains. After a well- deserved summer vacation, they will face the daunting task of adjusting to the strains and stresses that come with being a high school student.