The Gilroy Unified School District officially sent off its
eighth grade class Thursday with ceremonies honoring students from
both Brownell Academy and South Valley middle schools.
The Gilroy Unified School District officially sent off its eighth grade class Thursday with ceremonies honoring students from both Brownell Academy and South Valley middle schools.
“Brownell was cool,” Erich Chuck said. “I’m excited to go to Gilroy (High) next year.”
His friend, Shawn Ketchu said he also was excited that he finished junior high and that he was looking forward to next year.
“It’s going to be fun next year,” Ketchu said.
The mood was somber as principals of both schools said goodbye to their students. But even so, the principals still praised the students on their accomplishments and wished them luck in high school.
“You will all be missed,” Brownell Principal Suzanne Damm said when she addressed the students. “This is our opportunity to say thank you to all of you. All the success and happiness to the class of 2004.”
Paul De Ayora, principal of South Valley, shared a similar message and expressed his pride in his students during the promotion ceremony.
“The high quality of students has impressed all of us at South Valley,” he said.
Family and friends crowded the Gavilan College gym for the Brownell promotion and the Gilroy High School football field stands for South Valley’s ceremony.
Inside the Gavilan gym it was hot and stuffy. People, filling the bleachers and chairs set up for the occasion, fanned themselves with the programs that were handed out.
The students, who wore burgundy robes, also felt the heat.
“It was hot enough in there,” Chuck said.
But the heat didn’t stop the celebration.
Before the students received their certificates of completion, Joel Gray, the eighth-grade Associated Student Body President for Brownell, told the students to keep their memories of Brownell, its teachers and the friends made over the three years.
“I will take these (memories) with me,” Gray said in his speech during the ceremony, “as I hope other students will as we enter our high school years.”
School board member John Gurich decided to forgo the traditional look-to-the-future speech and asked the students at both ceremonies to give thanks to their parents and teachers for all the hard work in educating them.
“There were a few people in your lives who were very influential to you,” Gurich said right before he asked the students to rise and applaud their parents and teachers. “You can never say, ‘thank you,’ too many times to them.”
By comparison, the South Valley promotion was more comfortable as far as the heat went, but the students were just as enthusiastic.
“This afternoon is special for the students because it is the completion of our three years at South Valley,” said Zoila Hernandez, graduating from South Valley.
South Valley’s Associated Student Body president, Amanda Spellman, shared a similar message with the students, describing the long process to finish junior high. She shared how each students had to deal with assignments and tests due at the same time for different classes, but she also shared her thoughts, reflecting on how they all got through it and now were on their way to high school.
“If I had to describe the class in one word, it would be ‘driven,’ ” Spellman said. “Going to South Valley is just a small step on the road we all must take.”
Following all the speeches, and the awards given by the American Legion, the students at both schools were called one by one to receive their certificate of completion.
Students and parents all cheered as the names were read and each student was greeted by a board member.
After the final name was read, Gilroy High School’s principal, Robert Bravo, addressed the soon-to-be freshmen from both Brownell and South Valley.
“You are finished being middle school students,” Bravo said, “You are now high school students. You will always be (the) class of 2004; now you are the class of 2008!”
Following the promotion ceremonies, students mingled with parents, who presented their children with flowers, cards, gifts, balloons and, most of all, hugs.
“I can’t explain what I feel,” said Maria Cabrera, whose son, Mario, was promoted from South Valley. “I’m proud of him. I hope he will graduate in 2008.”
“I’m glad to be going to high school,” Mario Cabrera said. “I’m going to miss the teachers and the sixth and seventh graders I got to know.”
