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The Citizen, 2000-07-05, Page 17THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5,2000. PAGE 17. Public School address Seaforth elass of 2000 By Kate Powell Good evening, fellow graduates, parents, teachers, friends and distin­ guished guests. I am honoured to be graduating today as a class valedic­ torian, but I find it hard to believe it’s happening so soon. When I first came here in kindergarten, this school seemed so big and forbid­ ding. The teachers were intimidat­ ing, everyone was a stranger. I was in a school with a bunch of big kids that I didn't know. But with each passing year the school became smaller, the hallways shorter. The faces became increas­ ingly familiar. I became friends with most people and began to feel com­ fortable. My classroom became a home away from home and my peers like family. In the blink of an eye I find myself in the graduating class, with memories to last a lifetime. We are incredibly lucky to be in a small town environment, where we know everyone and everyone knows us. Most people graduating today were in my kindergarten class. We’ve known each other for years, and have gone through a lot togeth­ er. We’ve all shared in the anticipa­ tion and excitement of an upcoming event, such as the water days we used to have in the primary grades, or the much enjoyed preparation and performances of spring and Christmas concerts. We’ve also shared in the dread and fear of big tests, such as Math Mastery in Grade 7. We’ve faced many challenges. As a class, we have encountered every kind of peer pressure imaginable. We’ve made mistakes. Through the years we have come to rely on the love and support of our Grads of 1999 — Back row, from left: Thomas Ash, Steve Egley, Brandon Blake, Cody Holmes, Darcy McCutcheon, Ben Bachert, Robert McBride, Keese-Jan den Hertog, Tyler Doig, Darren Beaver, Bryan Wernham. Third row: Mr. Flood, Derek Fischer, Jennifer McClure, Kora Bennett, Allison Beuerman, Brent Coleman, Naathan Kruse, Brittany Fry, Sarah McDonald, Mandy Mitchell, Alicia Dick, David McClory, Mr. Rideout. Second row: Mr. Teall, Edward Heimpel, Tyler Elligsen, Shea Austin, Melissa Beuerman, Heather Dietz, Carrie Leonhardt, Christina Aldrey, Ashley Hawke, Brett Dietz, Josh Stewart, Josh Gowan, Nathaniel Bakker. Front: Jessica VonEuw, Kelly Marriott, Ashley Steele, Brittany Wood, Jessica Lubbers, Kate Powell, Lindsey Shannon, Nicole Cartwright, Candace Poisson, Jaclyn Hulley, Alina Shepherd, Kelly Jewitt, Miss Hoonaard. families, teachers, and true friends. I would like to thank these people for being there time and time again, and for reminding us that there will always be a tomorrow. At this time, I would like to thank our parents and teachers for their guidance over the years, and for teaching us that life isn’t always fair. We wouldn’t be the people we are today without their influence. In addition to these people, I am lucky to have two older sisters to guide me. Their words of encour­ agement have always given me con­ fidence. I would like to thank my sister Jane for insisting that I look words up in the dictionary and my sister Sarah for telling me that peo­ ple who spell words the same way twice lack imagination. In high school we will face big decisions and bigger choices. A few years ago Jane gave me a copy of a poem which has influenced my deci­ sions. At this time I would like to share with you the last stanza of the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost: / will be telling you this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and 1 - I took the one less travelled by. And it has made all the difference. Change will come whether we want it to or not. Next year we will be going to high school. Some of us will remain together, but many of us will be separated. We may not be able to take our friends or this school with us when we leave, but we can take our memories. It would be impossible to forget what we have learned and experi­ enced here, or to face the world without it. In closing, I would like to share with you something I learned at leadership camp last year: “Exceed all expectations. You can do any­ thing you set your mind to. You just have to believe in yourself, your abilities, and your potential.” By Darren Beaver Here we are. Graduation day. It seemed like it took forever to get here, but here we are. When I found out that the privi­ lege was granted to me to stand before all of you today as valedictorian, of course I was honoured but it also opened my eyes. It proved to me that anything and everything is possible if you have the will, the work ethics, th„ Continued on page 18 T© A Great BEGINNING Congratulations and best wishes to the class of 2000 DAUPHIN FEED& SUPPLY LTD. McGavin Walton, Ont. NOK 1Z0 Dungannon, Ont. 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