Merrick Avenue Middle School’s Class of 2024 celebrated its moving up on June 14 with two ceremonies on the school’s turf field.

To kick off the ceremony, the vocal group Word of Mouth, led by director Dana Brandwein sang “Dream On.”

Principal Katelyn Dunn referred to the middle school experience and, in her speech, quoted a professor about how ‘the middle of something can be messy, but it’s always where the magic happens.’

“As you reflect on your time in the middle of your academic careers, I hope you are really proud of your struggle,” she said. “You did it. You came out on the other side. You got the experience, and you are stronger for it. I encourage you to find comfort with a little struggle. This way when it happens every now and then in high school, you look at it as an opportunity for growth.”

Samuel Knee, a student speaker, recalled specific curriculum lessons imparted by teachers and how graduation means opportunity.

“This graduation is a chance to start over to figure out what we want to do in life and to become better and smarter people – both academically and socially,” he said.

Date Added: 6/17/2024