Welcome parents, family, friends, teachers, and staff to the graduation of the class of 2016, I cannot believe it has taken us 2016 years to get here……. Or that is how it probably felt for our many of our teachers over the years.
I am extremely honored to represent the grade 8s at Paris Central School. There have been many ups and downs throughout my time here. But I can tell you I could not be happier standing before you today. I am very grateful to my classmates for voting for me to be your valedictorian. The definition of Valedictorian is “a student typically having the highest academic achievement of the class”. I can tell you right now I am not the typically, I am the untypically. As a matter of fact I am not entirely sure I can spell Valedictorian. V-A-L-E- dictorian.
But Paris Central is a very untypical school and not in the bad way. As most of you know when I was in grade four my sister had leukemia which is a type of cancer. It was a very hard time for myself, my sister, and the rest of my family, but one of the only good things to come out of that experience is how supportive the students and staff were during that period of time. I remember the whole school wearing the colour orange in support of Kylie. Also Mr. Fleet and Mme. Nassar put together a little bucket of beach toys and such. But the one thing I will always remember is that not a day went by for the 2 and a half years she went through her chemo that someone did not ask me how she or myself were doing. Even to this day teachers, staff, and students still ask. To have a school, such a small school makes that terrible experience even the slightest better is something that no other school could possibly do. So for that Paris central and students and staff I thank you.
In other cases as well Paris central is very unique. Every time we get visitors coming through our school or parents they always ask the same question about our open concept school, “Do you notice it”, and the answer is usually yes. The answer is especially yes depending on the behavior of Mrs. Taylors class.
I am not sure if the parent and family are aware but we may or may not be a difficult group, I will let you decide for yourselves which one of those we are. But through numerous years here at Paris Central each teacher has tried to motivate our class, whether that was through long lectures, candy at 9:30 in the morning, an infraction system for our Toronto trip, inspiring speeches, Multiple inspiring speeches, Which leads me to believe if these highly educated and experienced adults have been unable to get through to us, what chance does my 3 minute speech have of inspiring anyone? But none the less get ready to be inspired.
