Isbell Middle School promotes eighth graders with ceremony at Jones Field
By Brian D. Wilson
Santa Paula News
Published: June 24, 2009
Brian D. Wilson
Santa Paula Times
The 2009 eighth grade class at Isbell Middle School was promoted to high school in ceremonies at Santa Paula High School’s Jones Field last week. After opening ceremonies and introductions, the packed grandstands heard from the student speakers.
The first to speak was Emily Hildago, the Elizabeth Ramsay Award recipient. “Today we look back on all the cherished memories and relationships we have created throughout our time at Isbell,” she said. “Today we celebrate how truly lucky we are to have had so many wonderful teachers influence our young lives. Today we are recognized for all of our hard work and effort. Today we realize that a part of each of us will always be a Condor.”
Hildago also thanked the teachers who helped and guided them along the way. “Although our time at Isbell has come to an end we’re proud to be leaving behind such a guiding path,” she added. “I know that when we are older we will look back on all of our memories and remember some of the ones from Isbell as the very best. We will remember all of our wonderful friends… our teachers who let us learn so very much and the way we cried the last day of eighth grade although we thought we wouldn’t.”
Salutatorian Evelyn Almaraz said during their middle school years they all had their ups and downs. “For many of us middle school was like a night at the movies,” she said. “We had our comedies, dramas, action, romantics and even horrors. But, no matter what, we were able to keep our spirits high and plan for the future.”
“Middle school has shown us what we can do with our lives,” she added. “We all learned that we have the possibility to do great things in the future. All of us are now going off to high school. We are going to start a new chapter in our lives. For many of us it is going to be hard to say goodbye to Isbell. We all must remember to stay true to ourselves and to not let others change us.”
Brian Gialketsis was the Doug Stewart Award recipient and Valedictorian. “Everybody here has gone through experiences to make them who they are today,” he told the crowd. “In one way or another Isbell Middle School has influenced their lives.”
He compared life to a giant coloring book. “At first the book is empty with no color or excitement,” he said. “But as each day is filled with knowledge, memories and love, each page is filled with color. Sometimes you might color outside of the lines or choose the wrong color, but nobody’s perfect, just turn the page and start again.”
He said on the first day of sixth grade he felt he was living the scariest movie imaginable. “Since that moment all of the teachers and staff at Isbell have welcomed me with open arms and become people I can trust almost anything with,” he added. “I guess they can be considered the outline of my coloring book, giving me a guideline of knowledge so I could color in as I chose. Eventually at Isbell I found my place and made friends with many people, not only in my own class but in those classes ahead of ours as well.”
“Now is the time where our middle school coloring book will end,” he said. “It has been filled with learning, joy, laughter and experiences of all sorts. But the last page has been completed.”
Isbell Principal Laura Rynott told the eighth grade class that life is a series of transitions, “and this evening we celebrate yet another…. When you were born it was the end your journey toward life, but the beginning of your life. When you finished kindergarten it was the end of your preschool time but the beginning of elementary school. When you finished fifth grade it was the end of elementary school, but the beginning of middle school. Today is the end of middle school but the beginning of high school. This is not the end. Do not let it be the end. I look forward to celebrating with you again in four years as you transition from high school to college.”
