8th Grade: Here we go!

In early June, families, faculty, and staff gathered to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2029 from Middle School—a milestone marking both an ending and a beginning.

Middle School Principal Kelsey Twist Schroeder opened the ceremony with a reflection on three simple, yet powerful words: “Here we go!” She explored each word in turn:

“Here” grounded the students in the present—this room, this moment, this achievement. It was also a celebration: “Here’s to you!”

“We” highlighted the strength of community and partnership, and a reminder that none of them had reached this point alone.

“Go” called attention to a sense of motion, momentum, and choice and the idea of stepping forward with purpose.

She urged graduates to go with grace, curiosity, courage, compassion, and authenticity—and above all, love and gratitude. “Because,” she said, “how you go matters.” She assured them that if they ever felt lost or unsure, they could return to their foundation; their mentors and teachers at the Middle School would still be there to support them. She concluded with the reminder that, “You are not just going, you are going together.”

Between certificate presentations and a band performance by students and faculty, four members of the Class of 2029—Max Goldman, Sophia Sailau, Lexi Carpenter, and Aliana Cromer—shared personal reflections from their Middle School experiences. 

• Max introduced the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which he interpreted as the belief that “a person cannot be their best without helping those around them to also be their best.” He emphasized that individual success is grounded more in community than in competition, which was something he had recently come to learn, and praised his classmates for lifting one another up as a true community.
• Sophia encouraged everyone to be present, reminding us that focusing only on the future or clinging to the past robs us of the now. “Graduation isn’t just a finish line,” she said. “It’s a photograph of who we are right now: still imperfect, growing, overwhelmed, and alive.”
• Lexi spoke to the anticipation and effort that defined their Middle School years—from late-night studying to moments of doubt. She reminded her peers that they had made it through challenges before and could do so again: “We didn’t get this far just to get this far.”
• Aliana opened with a nod to their 4th-grade promotion—1,456 days ago. She reflected on how fears had transformed into meaningful memories over those four years and she looked forward to the unexpected joys High School would bring, just as Middle School had.

The ceremony culminated with closing remarks by Head of School, Russell Shaw who called the graduation moment liminal, in the sense that the graduates were between worlds in that particular moment, and on the threshold; “...no longer middle school students and not yet high school students.” He said that as liminal moments are rare in our lives, they’re worth our attention.

He then shared a parable from the Cherokee tradition that has been retold across many cultures, about two wolves that are at battle inside each of us. “One wolf is fear, anger, envy, arrogance, shame, and ego. The other wolf is joy, kindness, curiosity, humility, hope, and love.” 

The wolf that wins, he told them, is the one you feed.

He explained that the story gets at something that matters deeply, especially in a moment like this, when you can set an intention for how you want to show up for this next chapter of your life. And that every day, with every decision we make, we get to choose which wolf we feed:  “It’s not a one time decision. It’s again and again. And these habits, these small choices, shape the life that we will lead.”

Congratulations, Class of 2029! 

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