Matching in navy blue Fostering Hope T-shirts and bright smiles on their faces, on June 12, the Class of 2028 walked confidently across the Jack Hontz Bridge, marking their official entry into high school as rising freshmen.
“It was fun and nice because I got to do it with all my friends,” rising freshman Finn Shaw said.
Graduating middle school after three years at the building feels surreal to some eighth-grade graduates.
“I feel like middle school generally does go away in the blink of an eye,” rising freshman Bianca Blake said. “Like, you walk in, and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, how am I going to do this? And then, you’re done, and you’re like, ‘How did that happen?’ I’m really excited to go into this next chapter with [my friends].”
The grade was one of the first classes to experience middle school without major COVID changes and developed very close relationships with the middle school staff.
One of those teachers was Mr. Stephen Krall, Assistant Principal at the middle school.
“Certainly, over three years, you get to know the students really well,” Krall said. “It’s really exciting to get to this point at the end of their eighth-grade year, where there’s other special things we do, but this is certainly a big kind of culminating event for them as they are officially becoming high schoolers.”
Following the crossing, Class of 2028 students received recognition and awards from teachers like Krall, Mrs. Cobb, Mr. Fili, Mr. McLaughlin, and others for their contributions and talents in music, theater, science, volunteer work, and more.
“It’s good to see their peers support them,” Krall said. “We vote on a lot of those awards, and so, adults, teachers, people that work in school buildings, parents even– we have a little bit of a different perspective than you do when you’re in your teen years. It’s fun to see them acknowledged and recognized in front of their peers, and your peers start to recognize the importance of these things and the impact that the students are making on others.”
During the ceremony, it was announced that the Class of 2028 raised $7,665 for the Fostering Hope organization, a volunteer-run and donation-based organization dedicated to helping improve and empowering the foster care community and families.
The Class of 2028 advisers will be Mr. Tim Styer and Mrs. Amanda Lawson. Together, they delivered a “Top 5” speech offering tips as the graduates enter high school.
Next year’s Student Council president Ella Liberi and Vice Presidents Madison Benzing and Josie Tolson also warmly welcomed the Class of 2028, giving some of their wisdom and recalling their years as young freshmen.
The speeches and awards left many of the freshmen excited for what is to come in their next four years.
“I’m excited for blocks. I’m excited for electives. It’s an exciting, new, experience that I’m looking forward to,” Shaw said.
