An actress once said: There is a universal truth we all have to face, whether we want to or not, everything eventually ends. As much as I’ve looked forward to this day, I’ve always disliked endings. Last day of summer, the final chapter of a great book, parting ways with a close friend. But endings are inevitable, Leaves fall, you close the book. You say goodbye. Today is one of those days for us graduates. Today we say goodbye to everything that was familiar, everything that was comfortable. We’re moving on. But just because we’re leaving, and that hurts, there are some people who are so much a part of us, they’ll be with us no matter what. They are our solid ground. Our North Star. And the small clear voices in our hearts that will be with us … always.
Family, friends and class of 2018, or to put in terms Mr. Schwan would understand, class of the square root of 81 times 2, welcome. I am Zoe Etches I am Madelyn Tong and I am Olivia St Amour.
Boys! You actually dressed up! And Olivia look you remembered your shoes!
This has been a year of growth for us graduates, we have challenged ourselves academically and grown not only as a class but as individuals. For example, Isaiah finally got off his own personal island and the amount of times Hunter falls has decreased greatly.
As we graduate we look back on some memories of our time here at BPS, these are definitely some of our favourites……
Everyone loved kindergarten, right? Of course you did… However, Ashton took her love to a whole new level. Her love was so great that she took a baby doll home every night… don’t worry though she made sure she brought it back every morning.
And have any of you ever dreamed about swimming in a classroom? Well for us that dream almost came to life in grade 6 when we had a fish tank break and flood our classroom, don’t worry there were no fish harmed in that accident however I think Ashton and Kenzie’s science mark was.
I think it’s safe to say we have all been personally attacked by Ryan’s very intense and competitive acts in gym class, from the very powerful throws in dodgeball to the little laugh that we have all witnessed when he gets you out or gets a basket on your team.
Tower building was definitely an interesting event, from me being my typical, clumsy self and accidentally destroying Katie’s tower, to mine being strong enough to become Mr. Schwan’s throne of popsicle sticks and books. He will deny this till the end of time because there is no photographic evidence, but trust us it happened
Our trip to Niagara Falls, Great Wolf Lodge and Canada’s Wonderland was definitely one to remember. I’m sure everyone can recall Emma and I being the only ones who couldn’t make it through fear factory, and of course sleepy Isaiah’s urge to play mini putt with Miss Jody. The trip also taught us a quick a lesson…the hard way… about leaving the patio door open when going down to the water park (trust me don’t do it you’ll get locked out of your room). We also remember the startled look on Mr. Schwan’s face when we told him Miss Jody said we could be without a supervisor at Canada’s Wonderland.
We learned so much here at BPS from all the math jokes and raps, but BPS is not just our school it’s our family. We are so lucky to have such a small school because it has brought us so close together. There has not been one day that I have not been greeted with a smile by all the staff here. Everyone here has greatly impacted our education as well as our lives.
I’ve been at BPS for 10 years now and I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m gonna miss this place. It’s crazy how a small school like this can become so much like home with all of the amazing teachers, staff, and students. I am so excited to continue my journey to a new much bigger school. However, I’m gonna miss this place.
There are so many countless memories I can remember from my time here at Beachburg and I would like to thank so many people for giving me these memories to look back on.
I would like to thank Olivia and Ashton for providing me with the entertainment of their endless arguments about things that are not important. I would also like to thank my bus buddy to Toronto for always making me smile and having pretty good taste in music. Thanks Isaiah!
Thank you Mackenzie for doing textbook work with me in class. “That’s what I mean, that’s what I mean”.
And thank you Dylan for keeping me company on our super long bus ride home from school.
Overall I would like to thank all of my friends at BPS for always keeping me smiling and even laughing most of the time. Everyone is truly amazing and I will always remember our time here at Beachburg.
I once heard someone say that you can’t push a car uphill with a rope. Take from it what you may but what I think they were trying to say is when life gets tough just take a minute…. And pause…. Then untie the rope, walk around the car, tie it to the front and pull. Pull past adversity, pull past your greatest fears, and pull in everything life has to offer. This reminded me of my short but sweet 4 years here at bps because the staff are always encouraging us to push through the difficult times and never give up.
This would be a good time to say thank you to those who have helped us get here.
Thanks to all the past teachers that have been the foundation of our education. Thank you to our families for making us who we are, being our own personal cheer teams at every point in our life and never letting us down. Thanks to our friends for having our backs and helping us through the tough times and making the good times 10x better. I personally would like to say a big thank you to my family and friends who are here today, you have made me a better person. I don’t know where I would be without you. Thank you mom and dad for putting up with me for the past 13 years. I know that some days it’s been harder than others. Thank you to Mr. Monkey for always being able to make me laugh no matter what. Thanks to Syd for ranting with me and always having ice cream and Thanks to Dom for always being there no matter what. Thank you to our fellow graduates, every single one of you are special, we thank you for always making class interesting each and everyday and reminding us to study for the upcoming tests (probably would have failed without those reminders in all honesty). Thanks to Miss Jody for keeping our little BPS family in order and always greeting us with a smile. I would like to thank Mr. Mike for picking on me in the hallways and always saying hi, this act of kindness that he managed to do everyday has made my 10 years here at BPS so much better. It honestly kills me to leave such a nice person behind.
Mrs Wren, you were like a second mother to everyone. With your kindness and amazing sense of humor we will miss you alot. You were the person we turned to when we were “sick” or just needed to talk. I would also like to recognize Mr. Boudreau, it may have seemed like we didn’t like each other a lot but he was an amazing teacher, always organized and always accepting to when I needed to argue or rant. I know he probably thought I was a rude kid with funny sayings but he helped me alot, not only academically but as a person. Now for Mr. Schwan. Thank you for everything you have done for us. You have put up with our moody teenage attitudes everyday and still managed to keep your cool. Mr. Schwan you have found a way to make learning fun. We were always excited to see what new math jokes you had for us. You even somehow keep us from falling asleep in class even after of staying up all night……….. Doing homework….
Although we are sad about leaving our friendly and familiar family here at BPS, it will always hold a special place in our hearts. It is our time to take that next step and start the next adventure.
Graduating class of 2018, congratulations.
Beachburg Public School Grade 8 Awards
Language: Madelyn Tong
Mathematics: Ashton Groves
History and Geography: Olivia St. Amour and Mackenzie Cooke
Science: Katie Mustard
Instrumental Music Award: Madelyn Tong and Katie Mustard
Athletic Award: Ryan Hawthorne and Madelyn Tong
French: Katie Mustard
Arts: Zoe Etches
Citizenship: Wyatt White
The 180: Skyler Peck
Renfrew County District School Board Medallion: Madelyn Tong, Ashton Groves, Olivia St. Amour and Katie Mustard
W.A. Burnett Bursary: Madelyn Tong, Ashton Groves
Valedictorians – Zoe Etches, Olivia St. Amour and Madelyn Tong
