The Citizen, 2009-07-09, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009.By Courtney
Middegaal
This is it …
tonight serves as
the pinnacle of
our 10 years at
Hullett. You may
assume that
graduation night
is the last chapter
in our journey;
however,
graduation is not the end, but the
beginning.
The closing of one door, and the
opening of another. The culmination
of everything you’ve learned and
applying it to the future. Tonight has
been 10 years in the making, and
throughout the 10 years, our little
class of 13 have grown, laughed,
matured and created everlasting
memories together.
Tonight is an extraordinary
celebration in our lives, and I’m
deeply honoured to be representing
the 2009 Hullett graduating class as
your valedictorian.
It doesn’t seem all that long ago
when we first stepped foot into the
unfamiliar halls of Hullett. Away
from the security of mom and dad
and deprived of our usual afternoon
naps, Mrs. Kemp and Mrs. Black
used their calm demeanor to make us
feel welcome. And who can forget
how anxious we all were for our turn
to be prince or princess for the
day.
Before you knew it, we were off to
Grade 1 which meant no more quiet
time with our blankies. We were big
kids now and rest time was
overrated.
With our ABCs and 123s in our
back pocket, we slowly progressed
down the primary side. We started to
grow our own personalities and
develop our own unique characters.
Our primary teachers introduced us
to fresh new challenges and we soon
garnered an excitement for learning.
The pace started to pick up when
we entered the senior side. Frequent
projects and homework were now
the norm. Remember the castle
project in Mr. Caldwell’s class?
Looking back, how can we forget
how stressed our parents became as
that impending due date crept closer.
The light at the end of the tunnel
definitely brightened as we entered
Mrs. Gilroy’s class. The year flew by
and it was hard to contain our
excitement knowing we would
finally be the “top dogs”.
It seems like yesterday that we
started Grade 8 and here we are in
June – graduates. Mr. Coups has
prepared us both academically and
mentally. He has become a close
friend and mentor to each one of us.
Mr. Coupes makes school enjoyable
and I can guarantee that all of us
looked forward to coming to class
each and every day.
From his favourite quote, “In
reality, you’ll catch more flies with
honey than vinegar”, to his off topic
discussions about movies, we will
forever cherish our time with him.
We wouldn’t have reached this
night if it weren’t for the
encouragement we received from all
the staff at Hullett. We value the time
you took out of your lunch breaks to
supervise our intermurals, all the
extra favours you would do for us,
and the personal relationships we
have made with all of you.
We have also been very fortunate
to have had three great principals
during our time at Hullett.
The virtues definitely helped us
build character and strengthen our
values, which will certainly serve us
well in the future.
The 13 of us have grown close …
like a family. We’ve survived 10
years together and I’m thrilled to say
we are leaving Hullett with strong
friendships and unforgettable
memories. There have definitely
been ups and downs but, all in all, it
wouldn’t have been the same
without the mix of our unique
personalities.
Nick was a quiet guy, but once you
go to know him he would do
anything for you. Even if that meant
using his awesome art skills to help
you finish an art project.
Shelsie knew how to put a smile
on your face. She always talked
about the most outrageous things
which were actually quite funny.
Rodney was known to be the best
high jumper around, even giving Mr.
Caldwell a run for his money.
Derek was the guy you often asked
for the answers to the math
questions. He was referred to as the
“brains” of the class.
From being a klutz to his very
genuine smile, Zach was just an
overall likeable guy to everyone.
Even though Justine annoyed the
class with her obsession over the
Jonas Brothers, she would go out of
her way to make you happy.
With Mac spending most of his
time at elementary school in a cast,
he was always willing to help and
became the best European handball
ref around.
Murray was the class clown. You
never knew where Murray was
coming from, but whatever he said,
always made the class chuckle.
Nicole’s nickname was “bolt”.
Nicole could beat everyone in the
100 m spring, even the guys!
Being new to Hullett just a few
years ago, Hunter has been the
perfect fit to our class with his
boundless energy.
Jordan’s outgoing personality and
lovable laugh always put you in a
good mood.
Last but not least is Kelsey. She
always looked on the bright side of
things. You could depend on her for
her positive comments and honest
opinion.
There you have it, the graduating
class of 2009. We are nothing short
of amazing.
Tonight we are all experiencing
mixed emotions as we leave the
comforts of Hullett and embark on
new paths. It will be tough to say
goodbye to our school and the
familiar hallways. Happiness lies
ahead as we conquer new goals and
climb even larger obstacles.
The journey has been real and the
future holds many promises. I
sincerely wish you all the best in
high school and beyond. Look back
positively at the years we have spent
together at Hullett Central Public
School and know that we now form
part of the proud alumni of students
who have graduated before us.
With the solid foundation we have
built here, we can confidently look
towards the future with class and
integrity and feel the excitement for
all the adventures waiting for us.
Remember, “Reach for the moon
and even if you miss, you will land
among the stars.”
Graduation the pinnacle of years at Hullett CPS
Achievers - Hullett Central Public School’s Grade 8 graduation class is, back row, from left: Ms Joy Antoniuk
(principal), Zachary Drost, Murray Dale, Nick Hartin, Rodney Rozendal, Mackenzie MacPherson, Hunter
Broda, Mr. John Coups (teacher) and Derek deBoer. Front: Jordan Teed, Nicole Middegaal, Justine Reid,
Kelsey Falconer, Courtney Middegaal and Shelsie Popp.
Hullett Central Public SchoolHullett Central Public School
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