Congratulations, 8th Grade! We Made It!

Good Evening, 8th graders, families, and faculty - 

Here we are! We made it! Our 8th graders have arrived at the end of their Middle School careers. And, we now get to celebrate and call attention to the messy middle that they have traversed, not just in the name of how it will set them up for future success, but to venerate the vibrancy and excellence that these students have exhibited over these past four years. 

You see, every grade of students is brilliant in their own unique way, but every now and again, there is a class that is truly radiant – the kind of class that is, simply put, special. And, I think it’s worth taking time this evening to examine what it is that makes this group so special. Before we do, though, there are many people present today who allowed this group of students to shine the way they were intended to. 

To the parents and guardians in the audience, thank you for entrusting your children to us. You have raised remarkable young people, and it is our great pleasure to have worked in partnership with you all to have served them.

To our world-class, one-of-a-kind faculty. There are many things that make St. Francis special, but at the core of it all is the student-teacher relationship. Thank you for your care and compassion, and for fostering the conditions in your classrooms to help the 8th graders joyfully grow into the critical, independent thinkers they are today. 

And, of course, to the 8th grade. You are a special group of young people who have in every respect embodied our Core Values, led the way, and set an example for the rest of the Middle School. I feel deeply honored to have had the opportunity to know each and every one of you. 

Now, I keep referencing how this class is special. But, what is it that makes this class so special? To answer this question, let’s take a bit of a trip back in time. 

In 1848 in what is now Poland, there was a typhus epidemic raging. Dr. Rudolf Virchow was sent to investigate. His findings surprised even him. In his meticulous report, he concluded that the spread of typhus represented “an unnecessary crisis.” “I am convinced,” he wrote, “that if you changed social conditions, the epidemic would not recur.” 

In the centuries since Dr. Virchow’s findings and across thousands of peer-reviewed studies, the severity of pandemics and their lasting impact is distinguished by relational factors like social trust. For two years, we’ve been saying that we need to trust science – and, of course, this is true – but, it’s not just science that we need to trust, we need to trust each other. Maybe more than anything else, it is our cohesiveness that allows us to navigate the uncharted and overcome the insurmountable.

When we distill down the essence of how we can heal in the midst and aftermath of a pandemic, it is social cohesion that ostensibly matters most. And has there ever been a group more cohesive than this 8th grade class? Has there ever been a group of 29 students who shared a greater solidarity, stronger bonds, or a more realized sense of belonging? Not one that I’ve ever known. Sometimes, their group cohesion manifested in loud and visible ways, like showing up to Red/Blue/Purple competitions in a telly tubby costume or cheering each other on during 8th grade sports nights. Other times, it manifested in quieter moments – those moments that don’t garner recognition at Morning Meeting, but are still so vital to reminding one another that they are an integral part of the group. As one 8th grader shared with me, “As much as we bicker, there’s so much love holding us together.” 

Perhaps, it was the hardships of the past two years that galvanized the closeness of this class. But, I also know that not all 8th grade classes across the country are as close as this class is. It would seem that there exists a serendipity between what this moment in time called for and what this special class of students has meant to one another. 

Before I say my goodbyes, let me leave you with the words of Albert Camus: 

In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.

In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.

In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

No matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.

In the midst of a pandemic, this 8th grade class found an invincible strength, an invincible empathy, and an invincible cohesion – the bonds of which I hope remain this strong forever. Congratulations, 8th grade.