Middle School Closing Remarks - 2022

 

Palmer Trinity is about community---we have said this all year, and it is a hallmark of our School. You are surrounded by:

People who love you.

People who care for you.

People who want only the best for you. 

What an incredible gift, and a moment for you to remember…Soak it in!

Please also note the name of this ceremony—

This is simply a “Closing Exercise”.

This is NOT a Graduation. It is Not an Ending…

Rather, it is a Beginning…A step, on your greater path to development.

Of the many gifts you receive today, perhaps it is the simple remembrance that today, you are taking with you the sacred memories of your Palmer Trinity Middle School experience and with that, the relationships formed, the struggles overcome, accomplishments achieved, and ALL the good--and Challenging moments...All of these things will be a part of you forever. 

Your class has completed most successfully your “Mission”, and collectively, you have left your impression upon our School, and for that I say “thank you”.

Now, before you walk off the stage today, and take that first step on this exciting new path, I would like to encourage you to do a few things for me.

#1

Stay positive, and don’t let things get you down…

Consider this true story…

There once was a boy known as Sparky. Sparky was a loser, at least, according to his classmates. Throughout his youth, Sparky failed at everything, and I mean, everything. He failed every subject in 8th grade. He failed Physics, Latin, Algebra, and English in High School. While he made the school’s golf team, he was credited for losing the only really important match of the entire season. 

Socially, Sparky was awkward. Dating was not an option, as he was much too afraid of being turned down. 

Sparky made up his mind, however, to focus on the one thing that made him truly happy: that one thing: Drawing.

 

Sparky could draw.

While Sparky was proud of his artwork, others were not so impressed. And while his work did not gain any attention early in his life, Sparky was not deterred---he continued to sketch. After High School, this young artist decided he would send his work to Walt Disney Studios…

And, well, you guessed it---No one at Disney was interested in Sparky’s work.

Accordingly, Sparky decided he would tell  his own life story through his cartoons and his characters. The main character would become an American Original--you know that character today as “good ole Charlie Brown”!

Yep, noted creator and illustrator Charles Schulz is the “Sparky”, in this story, and his work has inspired and entertained millions of people, certainly including myself, and if I am guessing, many of you! 

I am a “true” fan of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Peanuts characters, and, for what it’s worth, I still make time to watch all the holiday specials, and even own a few “official” items…I won’t bother you with the details, but you get my gist…

So, 8th graders—soon to be High Schoolers—take that positive attitude of yours, and remember that how you respond to failure, however, is critical, and will ultimately pay dividends for you…In fact, I would argue, that’s where the opportunity for real growth, and I might add, real happiness, lies. 

Remember, you are on a journey with twists and turns…ups and downs…successes and failures…It is up to you how you will go about your daily work. It is up to you just what your attitude will be.

Stay positive and don’t let things get you down! 

#2.

Make time for Rest, and to unplug.

While I know that many of you have a jam-packed summer planned, with activities, camps, travel experiences and wonderful things happening, I truly encourage you to find time to “disconnect”----to “unplug” and simply “be”.

And yes, that means to turn your electronics, and your cell phone off. If you can, try to do it for 24 hours...You might even get “lucky” and actually lose your phone, forcing you to try this experiment!

The legendary Greek Philosopher, Plato himself, urges us to find time to relax, stating:

“The bow that’s always bent will quickly break; but if unstrung will serve you at your need. So let the mind some relaxation take, to come back to its’ task with fresher heed…”

Whatever the scenario, find time to get away from distractions, and establish a moment for solitude. Silence really is golden, and, as you will soon discover, is often where the best creative thought lies…As Carl Sandburg, the great American writer once claimed,

“Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln never saw a movie, heard a radio, or looked at t.v. They had “loneliness” and knew what to do with it. They were not afraid of being lonely because they knew that was when the creative mood in them would work.”

 

Legendary Thinker and Author Henry David Thoreau, furthers this notion, adding,

“I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”

How you discover that “quiet” will be part of your challenge this summer.

 

Maybe it’s an early morning jog, or a quiet stroll in the evening...

Maybe it’s sitting on the beach, watching the waves roll by...

Maybe it’s curling up on the couch with a good book…

Maybe it’s painting, or creating a new work of art…

Maybe it’s a simple moment on vacation, just letting your mind drift...

Whatever the case may be, spending part of your day in contemplation will be well worth it, I promise. 

Make time to pause, to press “Reset”, and take advantage of being in that silence, knowing the power such a moment brings.

Disconnect. 

Unplug. 

Learn to use that quiet time to the fullest, harnessing the genuine, and real, lasting power it can provide.

#3. 

Be Grateful.

Say “thank you” to anyone and everyone who has made this opportunity possible for you. 

Maybe it’s mom and dad. Maybe it’s a grandparent or an Aunt or Uncle. Maybe it’s a Godparent or a dear Friend of your Family. 

Whoever has supported you along your journey, I am asking that you find that individual and make sure they know just how grateful you are. Famous author Alice Walker furthers this point, claiming that

'Thank you' is the best prayer that anyone could say…Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, and understanding.”

So, please take a moment in the coming weeks and write a note of thanks, or even better, tell those folks who have supported you in person just how much you appreciate them and love them. 

In that same spirit of gratitude, I say “thank you”.

Know that I am very grateful for your hard work, and your dedicated efforts to complete your studies and various tasks, which have served you well, and gotten you to this point…

Know that I am very grateful for your overall Leadership as a Class…Your efforts to “set the tone” in Middle School, and serve as good Role Models for our younger students…

Know that I am very grateful for your ability to adapt and to be resilient, especially during an unusually challenging time…

Know that I am also most grateful for your Ambassadorship—your commitment to representing what Palmer Trinity is all about—being compassionate, kind servant leaders…Persons of character who care about others, and who recognize the importance of working within a greater Community…Thank you.

As you prepare to take this step, please also know that I am cheering for you, and I extend my heartiest “Congratulations” to each of you today for completing the “first leg” of this exciting journey…