Bronxville News

Standing before an audience of friends, family and administrators, eighth-grade students celebrated their hard work, achievements and success throughout their time in middle school during a special moving up ceremony, held on the school’s front lawn on June 20. The students will continue their educational journey as high school freshmen in the fall. 

Select student representatives – Spencer Blumenreich, Hugh Duffy, Erin Foley, Chris Kelty, Sydney Tuck and Ashley Wetty – addressed their classmates and reflected on their experiences in middle school. They acknowledged their parents, teachers and friends for letting them gain independence, making their childhood memories worth remembering and encouraging them during their three years of growth in middle school. 

“Bronxville is great because it allows the students to fully embody the Bronxville Promise,” Kelty said. “We get to learn in an environment where we listen to different perspectives because everyone knows everyone and no one is afraid to share their ideas. I guarantee that you won’t find a small community like this one anywhere else. We have a sense of interconnectedness that allows us to be conscious of each other’s problems and feel obligated to help. That is what makes me love this school. This sense of closeness that surrounds us and our entire school is what gives me hope for our futures in high school and beyond.” 

The students also spoke about recognizing opportunity, following their instincts, learning from their mistakes, accepting challenges, preparing for the future and growing along the way. They assured their peers that they’re ready to take on the next challenges in their educational journey as high school freshmen in September.

“Throughout my middle school experience, I have learned that it is most important to look at your past experiences as a way to guide your future decisions and to make your values the basis of these decisions,” Wetty said. “As we all go into high school as a class, I encourage each of you to follow your values, passions and dreams even if they don’t necessarily work out, because in the end, everything will come together.” 

Principal Dr. Thomas Wilson encouraged the Class of 2022 to persevere through any obstacle life may present to them, always strive to try and learn new things, learn from their mistakes and never be afraid of failure.  

“If you believe you can get better at something and you can allow yourself not to worry too much about the momentary pain and mistakes you will make as you learn, you have what is known as a growth mindset,” Wilson said. “A growth mindset lets you try, try again while allowing you not to suffer because you don’t excel at something immediately. A growth mindset lets you shake off failure and get back up again. And again. We are living at an extraordinary moment in time. At no other point in human history has growth mindset been as widely valuable or even essential for survival.”

Signifying the conclusion of one chapter and the beginning of another, the students were called one by one to accept their certificates. Following the ceremony, the seventh-grade class hosted a reception for the graduates and their families.