Gr. 7 Valedictorian Speech

Adelina:
Good evening teachers, parents, staff, Father Jerry, Mr. Field and the greatest friends of all time that made this year truly magical and unforgettable. My name is Adelina Popa and this is Jai Singh and we are very grateful to be the Valedictorians of the 2016-2017 school year.

Jai:
The first day of school I still remember it standing in line waiting to walk up the stairs to the kindergarten classroom Mr. Field saying things and me probably the most excited and lost kid in the building. That’s where the long journey began. And now I’m standing here with my fellow graduates at the end of the line and the start of a new journey.

I really remember the experiences of kindergarten but I especially remember the feeling of joy happiness and inclusion sparked in the class by none other than Mrs. Calamo. She is an amazing woman with a huge heart and I have seen those qualities rub off on our graduating class. Looking back, I can remember our group singing and forming a giant paper caterpillar around the room with numbers and even the mealworm. Oh, and the math! I think Kindergarten math is my favorite and I do love math to this day because of it. Not just because we spent 20 minutes doing it, but because of Mrs. Calamos enthusiasm made it so engaging! Kindergarten..reminds of how time has flown and how far I have come and how far I have to go. She created an image of what school is supposed to be and how to express yourself fully in that environment in easy words she made it fun.

Moving onto Grade One. Miss Singer was our teacher for the year. She is a loving human being with a talent for making any place feel like home. Probably my favorite parts of grade 1 must have been the projects and ways given to express yourself. I think all of us have to admit, that we have never seen Miss Singer angry. She has the greatest ways to explain concepts and activities you could tell the hard work put into everything she did. She was constantly reassuring us that we were all amazing and capable students. To Miss Singer, we were and always will be great just as we are. Our homework, writing, speaking, all became stronger that year making a perfect base to launch our academic career. Thank you, Miss Singer, for showing us that the stars are the limit.

Soon after, Grade Two followed. Grade two was a year that I like to say was the start of our class’ spiritual journey. The teacher that made this ship sail, was no other than Miss Bridge. She introduced us not just to a new level of academics but a whole new level of gym and physical activity as well as healthy eating. Additionally, there was another accomplishment we received that acted as a spiritual milestone in many of our lives. The sacrament of First Communion. Miss Bridge helped us realize how important receiving Jesus is in our lives. As a result, we became reverent kids whenever we are in God’s presence.

Our last Primary year rolled around and what better way to finish the primary years than with the extraordinary Mrs. Landingin. Grade three was my first year in St. Edmund’s. On my first day in grade three, I was welcomed by the cheerful smile of Mrs. Landingin, she introduced me to everyone in the class and made me feel like I have been here since Kindergarten. To be honest, I was extremely scared since I didn’t know anybody here and I wasn’t the kind of person that would immediately start talking, I was quite shy. Everyone was extremely friendly and kind, which really helped me fit in. At the end of my first day I didn’t want to leave St. Edmund’s. So many exciting things happened in grade three that wouldn’t have been the same without our lovely teacher that was always able to make us laugh even when we felt down. Or turn every bad situation into something joyful. As a class, we always found ways to have fun together, like the tea party, which I am sure we all enjoyed very much. Thank you, Mrs. Landingin for making every day of grade three a special day.

Grade four seemed challenging at first, since it was the first year of intermediate but with our fabulous teacher Ms. Ebert there to guide us, it couldn’t have been more fun. It was a year full of accomplishments and new experiences. We got to be older buddies, try something new like four square and many more exciting projects and activities that have helped us become who we are today. Ms. Ebert has always and will always continue to support and encourage us. She was always a great leader to look up to and never failed to impress us with her great knowledge. Ms. Ebert always found a way to make everything we did enjoyable and entertaining. She prepared us to become great leaders of the school and for the following few years that would soon come. Ms. Ebert always challenged us to do better and had high standards for us and for that we are very thankful. St. Edmund’s is very lucky to have such an inspiring teacher like Ms. Ebert. Thank you.

Our grade 5 year was full of surprises and exciting memories that are simply unforgettable. Our first teacher was Mrs. Defazio, who always was and still is attentive, caring and joyous. She always found a way to make us feel comfortable and confident in ourselves. Mrs. Defazio made everything fun to always keep us interested. Unfortunately she had to leave before Christmas, which was heartbreaking but we were also extremely happy for her. Mrs. Defazio was soon to become a mother and had to leave us. We were all curious to know who our new teacher would be for the rest of the year. When we finally met our new teacher, Mr. Whelan all of us were excited to see how the rest of year would roll out for us. Mr. Whelan was hilarious and always found a way to make us laugh. He brought to school a wooden woodpecker named Roger. He would set Roger at the top of the metal beam and by the time it made it to the bottom we were all supposed to be quiet. It worked…. At least most of the time. At the end of the year, we went on a field trip to Fort Langley, where we got to see the old buildings, collected coins and lastly we played hide and seek through the whole park. That is how grade 5 concluded. It was a new year full of exciting experiences and it was all thanks to Mrs. Defazio and Mr. Whelan.

On the first day of grade 6 we were introduced to the incredible teacher, Mrs. Oman. She told us all about her and how she loved cheesy jokes. The class walls were filled with posters that contained cheesy jokes, which always brought a smile to our faces. Being in grade 6 has made us feel more like leaders and has gotten us ready for grade seven and the future challenges that would come. Mrs. Oman has been a fantastic teacher to us and her challenges have had a great part into shaping us into who we are today. Mrs. Oman was always there when we were in trouble or needed advice, she always had the key to solving our problems. And even though as a class we might not have always shown it, we really appreciated every single bit that you have done for us in grade 6.

Our journey has sadly come to an end, but we all couldn’t have finished our journey on such a high without Mr. Dotto. This school year we all have transformed in an amazing way individually and as a class. From projects like ancient cities, dragons den, Iron Chef, and Roman senate night to our final step of initiation through Confirmation. He wasn’t just there for homework but for moral support when you felt down your ways of pulling us out of it are truly amazing your someone who has used their talents for the benefits of other and i’m sure everyone in this class wants to be like you. The greatest thing that you have done for us is make us a unit if it wasn’t for this our year would have been ruined.But finally I think I should describe what Mr. Dotto is for this class because that is what Mr. Dotto really is. I would describe Mr. Dotto as a gardener, and us as flowers that had been planted at the beginning of the school year that have now sprouted and are ready to see what the really world has to offer us. But we all now to grow a plant it needs to be nurtured and I and this whole class and their families believe that this year we had the best gardener, Mr.Dotto. Who sheltered us when there was a storm and gave us water when there was a drought, he has made it possible for us to sprout and has put us on the right path to bloom into great leaders of our world. Thank you Mr. Dotto.

We would also like to thank Mr. Field for not only being a dedicated Principle but also for being an extraordinary math teacher to us. You have always wanted the best for every student and encouraged them to aim higher. Mr. Field, you have watched us grow and become who we are now. You have put so much of your time and effort throughout all these years to guide and help us. We will always remember your loud voice in assembly when waiting for reverence and the support you have given us through the years. Thank you so much. AND….See you at STA.

Jai:
Now we would like to thank Father Jerry for always being enthusiastic in mass and giving us a better knowledge on the life of Christ, also for allowing us to become closer with God and strengthen our relationship with Him.
Thank you Mrs. Defreitas for being such a great Secretary and keeping our school in order. ……………………………………………………………………………

Adelina:
Thank you Mrs. Dy for helping us with the dewey decimals, giving us the time to read when having a busy grade seven schedule and most of all having patience with us. Not just a great librarian but also a great Volleyball coach.
Ms. Ivanovic, Thank you for teaching us how to play different instruments and showing us all the different notes and of course being such an amazing choir instructor.
Mesdames et messieurs, nous aimerions remercier Ms. Cheung. Thank you, Ms. Cheung for passing some of your great french skills onto us and helping us discover more about french speaking countries and being a great help in track.

Jai:
And lastly, thank you Mr.Chu, Mr. Lee, Ms. Jones and all the other incredible staff members for all of your amazing work and help.

Before we finish, we would like to say something about our spectacular classmates. As a class we have become more like a family, we complete eachother. Our different personalities have made this year unforgettable. All these years we have created a bunch of memories.

Adelina:
They will always find a way to flood our minds and bring a smile to our faces. We have come a long way and must always remember that wherever we are, we will always be a family and have eachothers backs.

Jai:
We started off as little kids coming into a whole new universe getting prepared by the friends staff and families at St. Edmunds. Now we’re entering the next universe the next chapter of our lives High School where this class is destined to succeed. Thank you for everything you have done to shape the people we are today.