Address to the Graduating
Class of 2013
Dr. Collene Van Noord
Seniors, well, here we are. We’ve been at Palmyra
for many years and now we’re about to leave. You as graduates; I as a retiree.
I am here to give the greetings to the
seniors. This is for YOU. All those others surrounding you can listen in if
they want but this is just for you and from my heart. We’ve grown up and
learned together here. But, now our time in the Palmyra schools is coming to an
end. Like, … now! It is so very exciting
but also scary in many ways.
Let’s
look back on what has happened while we were here; let’s look at some of our
Palmyra memories:
· * You
remember tragic accidents and deaths of some in our own school during your time
here – Elementary, HS, & recent graduates. It seems there have been too many
apartment or house fires.
· * You
also know about tragic deaths of friends or family members of some of your
friends.
· * Some
of you had a tornado rip through your neighborhood when you were in the
elementary school – especially if you lived near Country Squire.
· * The
iconic Outdoor Ed. was part of your 7th grade experience.
· * You
might have been part of the first Haiti telecommunication project with Mr.
Remington.
· * You
might have been part of the art mural at the entrance to the MS – the one that
has grown each year. If so, make a point to go back and see how it has evolved.
· * After
a complicated, 17-phase HS addition & renovation project, you have been
able to enjoy that beautiful building as your HS the entire time you have been
here. I’ve watched you gather and visit with your friends in the airy atrium.
· * You
were part of our Palmyra Pride Night and can now enjoy the bronze cougar in the
place of honor under the staircase.
· * A
month ago, we experienced a sobering, accident simulation in the parking lot.
You were so quiet out there one could have heard a pin drop. You all also
stayed safe at the prom.
· * You
were too old to attend, but you’ve seen the opening of Lingle Avenue Elementary
– actually it is a rare event in this day and age to open an elementary school
– having it be LEED certified speaks to your times!
· * Since
you’ve been in the HS, you’ve seen very unusual and dramatic natural events:
o
A
tornado hit the Middle School and other areas of the Borough one April morning 2011.
o
An earthquake
hit on the first teacher day 2011.
o
There
was last year’s record flood from Tropical Storm Lee! You left home probably
not even needing an umbrella but once the rains started, they continued in
torrents all day. It wasn’t safe to have busses on the roads for mid-day kindergarten
runs and certainly not by time school let out for you. You will remember relatives
or friends may have picked you up but the district brought all remaining
students to the HS by late afternoon. You may have helped to feed the other
students dinner and noticed preparations for keeping some there overnight if
need be. Even more sink holes developed in Palmyra, basements and homes flooded,
… you all have personal, horrible memories.
o
The Snow storm – 9+” in October 2011. Of course, it came on a
weekend and you didn’t even get a snow day out of it. Many of you noticed that
we really never had a heavy snowstorm and no snow days this year.
o
However,
I know none of you will ever forget the epic storm, Hurricane Sandy. That DID close us down for a
couple days following a weekend of everyone being glued to the TV news.
o
It
seems that all you’ve missed was pestilence. Oh, wait, after 17 years the
cicada are coming back so maybe this summer will seem like the pestilence.
· * Sports
& our cheering program have been gaining strength over your time here.
o
You
remember last year’s Manheim Central football win – on their turf – walking in
and seeing the legacy banners for their state championships! But, we won in a
spectacular way – in triple OT.
o
The
Basketball win at Donegal last year -- that go-ahead bucket at the buzzer in
overtime was a thriller.
o
You
remember down-to-the-wire wins this year at both Milton Hershey and the Giant
Center field houses. It has been quite a ride!
o
You
enjoyed post-season success in nearly every sport. Boys’ & girls’ soccer,
girls’ field hockey, swimming, diving, wrestling, boys & girls basketball,
boys & girls cross-country, boys & girls track & field, volleyball,
tennis, and golf all have students who earned the right to move on to post-season
play.
o
We had
state-level competitors and champions in field hockey, boys’ &
girls’ basketball, cross-country, swimming, golf, and track & field.
o
The
fire truck rides in our celebration parades were a chance for the whole
community to support you.
o
You
earned athletic honors but were also recognized for your sportsmanship - repeatedly
- and in significant ways.
o
You
broke state records and placed with the elite across the nation.
o
You
earned the Lebanon Daily News Cup for three years in a row.
o
On
the lighter side, you’ve played Donkey basketball having a blast and earning
money for Thon.
· * The
arts have been outstanding:
o
Fall
dramas included Charlie’s Aunt and Peter Pan & Wendy. How entertaining.
o
Musicals
Footloose and The King & I demonstrated skill, talent, fun, and serious
drama. Our student orchestra pit was amazing as were our singers and performers.
Each year we seem to earn more Apollo nominations. Honestly, The King & I was about as good as HS
musicians and actors get!
o
The
musicians among you earned the right to compete at state-level competition
because of talents in voice and band.
· * Most
memorable has to be the Mini-thon as you raised more than $59,000. Your energy,
dedication, and selflessness showed your character. You proved that you believe
and acted upon your fundamental understanding that it is FOR THE KIDS!
· * Amongst
you are strong competitors in Brain
Busters, advancing further than ever before.
·
FBLA has again had students qualify for national competition.
· * Some
of you designed, created, and operated robots that could perform tasks, again
advancing further than ever before.
· * Your
HS Envirothon team broke records for Palmyra’s success at the state
competition.
· * One
of you has her own clothing design & creation business and has been
recognized by New York designers.
· * One
of you is a US Grand Champion for science, earning the right to an
all-expense-paid trip to Sweden for the Stockholm International Youth Science
Seminar, which includes attendance at the Nobel Prize ceremonies.
· * Among
us is a National Merit Scholar Finalist.
· * In
art, comm. Tech. & prod. Tech., you created outstanding logo designs for
our Education Foundation and a wind chime tree to be placed in the Hershey
Gardens.
· * One
of you designed and created a mural in the wrestling gym.
· * Your
honors, I know, go beyond those that I know about.
· * Your
11th grade PSSA scores, along with those of the rest of the district, earned
Palmyra the headline in the Patriot News last fall as being the only district
in mid-PA to earn AYP in all content, in all buildings, and at the district
level.
* Your
talents and successes are amazing – and across the board in all areas. Tonight
you have earned the right to look back, remember, enjoy, and know you have
earned the right to say it has been job
well done.
But,
… , what now? What now for all of us?
I
have operated under the mindset of Kaisen
– a Japanese concept of always improving. No matter how good we are, we can
always get better. Personally, I have worked my entire career trying to improve
on what I do and trying to make sure those I work with are also as good they
can be. Now, I’m heading into retirement. I know how to ‘educate.’ I know how
to ‘parent.’ I have learned how to be a ‘wife.’ But, I don’t know ‘retirement.’
Learning to ‘retire’ is new – it’s not getting better at what I’ve been doing.
… it’s a bit unnerving.
What
about you? You guys have been amazing. But, now what? What will your destiny be
after PHS? I love stories so I’ll share one with you. A few weeks ago I was in
Gold’s Gym and went into the video room to watch the movie while walking the
treadmill. (It keeps me from being bored.) I just happened to catch a part of
“Hugo” which I’ve learned since is an award-winning movie based on the book
“The Invention of Hugo Cabret.” The segment of the movie I caught was focused
on, Hugo Cabret, a 12-year old who literally lives in the walls of a Paris
train station, and his friend Isabelle, who is an orphan and not at all
confident or comfortable with whom she is. They are both hidden away in this
old, beautiful train station that reminds me of the famous Musée d'Orsay, which
is also an old train station turned museum. In the setting of this cavernous old
train station is a huge clock, I’m estimating 25-30’ in diameter, that has a
glass face and when one stands inside the upper level of the Musée d’Orsay, one
can look out over the City of Lights. Hugo is very mechanically inclined and,
in fact, secretly maintains the clocks in the train station. At one point he
explains to Isabelle as they look out over the city that he thinks of the world
as one huge machine. Every part in every machine has a special function. There
are no extra parts and no missing parts in a machine or it would not work.
Since the world is like a machine, each person is like one of the parts. There
are no unnecessary people. Each one is important and special.
No
matter whether you will be going into the work-world, the military, a trade
school, or college, you are like a part in a well-tooled machine. You are
necessary and important.
Personally
speaking, I come from a Judeo-Christian background. I knew as a child that
Abraham had a special covenant or promise. His God had chosen Abraham and
blessed him. I felt I was also benefiting from being chosen and being blessed.
It wasn’t until I was older that I realized the rest of that situation. A
covenant, or a promise, is a two-way street. "I will make you into a great
nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2)
Abraham was blessed to be a blessing. You were
blessed to be a blessing.
I’ve
reviewed evidence from your last few years on how you have been blessed. Those
people out there listening in on us – your family members, your teachers, and
your friends – care very much for you. They have done their best to make sure
that you had what you needed – more than what you needed – that you were loved
– and that you received an excellent education if you would work for it – that
you enjoyed fun extra curricular activities if you were interested – and that
you would benefit from a life where high expectations where held and that you
were provided the skills to make things happen.
Guess
what, … you were blessed. Now, leave this place with the conviction to be a
blessing to those you touch over the next decades. Remember, this is a new
beginning for all of us.
I
would hope that I have gained some wisdom to share with you as I leave. Dr.
Ruby will speak more about the future so this will be brief. Listen carefully:
1 . You only get one chance – bad choices
change lives. Choose wisely.
2 . You get what you put into it.
3 . Life is more than Palmyra.
There
is amazing excitement for you – and for me – with the entire rest of our lives stretched
out ahead of us.
But,
if we’re honest with ourselves, there is also a serious measure of being a bit
apprehensive.
Whenever I feel afraid
I hold my head erect
And whistle a happy tune
So no one will suspect
I'm
afraid.
I whistle a happy tune
And ev'ry single time
The happiness in the tune
Convinces me that I'm
not
afraid.
Make believe you're brave
And the trick will take you far.
You may be as brave
As you make believe
you are.... (From I
Whistle a Happy Tune ~ The King &
I)
Graduates
We
have given the ability to think, to learn, to problem solve, and to
serve. The future is yours. It begins now. I wish you all the greatest blessings life has to offer.
