Happy chatter filled the backstage of Botelle Elementary School Monday before official promotion ceremonies began for four sixth graders advancing to Northwestern Region #7’s middle school.
Parents, grandparents, brother and sisters sat in the semi-darkened auditorium as Superintendent of School Marybeth Iacobelli addressed the young graduates.
She encouraged them to have faith in their own vision, noting that a civil engineer once “proved” that bumblebees cannot fly because their wings are too small. “But the bumblebees went ahead and flew anyway,” she said. “If you meet people who try to discourage you from following your dreams, just go ahead.”
School Principal Lauren Valentino said that one benefit of having such a small graduating class is that there is time to personalize the proceedings. She offered the audience insights into each of the students:
- Robertson Bazzano, “a lover of the great outdoors who is kind, cares about his classmates and protects anyone who needs help.”
- Rocco Colella, “a whiz with a computer who can present an argument with the best of them. A future lawyer perhaps?”
- Kallyn Hagerty, “a quiet student” who “draws like a pro, using her vivid imagination, an avid reader, amazing writer and storyteller.”
- And Evie Whitaker, “an enthusiastic, firecracker of a girl” who is “an avid reader and a creative artist. Future engineer? I keep telling her she’s a natural teacher …”
Telling the children they are ready for middle school, she concluded, “Enjoy those new experiences, new teachers, new friends, new lockers! Tonight, we celebrate you and all you’ve accomplished throughout your years at Botelle School.”