“Be courageous. Be your own hero. Follow your dreams, no matter how big they are. This is your life. Make it beautiful.”
Those were the words that W.H. Day Elementary School valedictorians Victoria Maung and Jack McLaughlin spoke to inspire their graduating Grade 8 class — but similar messages were also delivered at graduation ceremonies around Bradford West Gwillimbury.
As Grade 8 students prepared to leave elementary school and enter high school this fall, and high school grads looked ahead to college or university, apprenticeship, jobs or travel, they were encouraged to “try new things and take initiatives” by members of the public and Catholic boards of education, local politicians, teachers, and fellow students.
At Holy Trinity Catholic High School, Vice Principal Phillip MacFadden urged the graduating Grade 12s to “enjoy the ride, embrace the journey… Let your heart be your compass.”
He quoted St. Teresa of Calcutta: “Not all of us can do great things. All of us can do small things with great love.”
The ceremonies ranged from the intimate — at Sir William Osler Public School, a small rural school in Bond Head, only 15 students graduated — to crowds big enough to fill the arena at the Bradford & District Memorial Community Centre, where Bradford District High School presented diplomas and awards to its 234 graduates.
W.H. Day Elementary School, with a gym too small to accommodate the families of its graduating class, moved its ceremony to Bradford District High School’s cafetorium.
And Fred C. Cook Public School opted to make this year’s graduation a memorable one, holding both ceremony and reception at The Club at Bond Head.
Every school presented diplomas and recognized academic and personal achievement with awards and scholarships. There were cheers, laughs and emotional farewells.
“Take those special gifts and all you have learned… to build a bright future,” Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board Trustee Jeanny Salmon told graduates at Holy Trinity.
“Continue to explore your passion and find your path. I know you will rise to whatever challenge will face you.”
