Address to the Class of 2011
Congratulations to you, the class of 2011, those of you who are ready to soar and to those of you who have loved them and gotten them to this place. Wow, the time has gone quickly and here you are ready to graduate. When I began my time at Palmyra, you were in third grade. Those of you from Pine were in the middle of a construction project. And, what a mess that was – trudging though torn-apart sections of the building with open skies above and wood planks to walk over so your feet wouldn’t get muddy. But, you were there when it was dedicated. Those of you at Northside had a special garden out on the side where the modular classrooms are now. Those of you at Forge probably played T-ball or baseball out in the playground. All of you were next able to attend the beautiful, old Middle School building after it was so wonderfully restored. That was when Mr. Demers was still the principal. There are some of you who never attended a Palmyra elementary school or maybe even the MS. There was a period of about five years when we grew 25% so many of you were part of that influx. Modular classrooms were soon added to the HS, the MS, and to Northside. Most recently, you attended our refurbished HS. In fact, when you began as freshmen, the building was still undergoing the addition and major renovation. And, and what a beautiful building it has now been for you. What a transformation from a building in desperate need of attention. Now, though, it is time for you to leave.
When we moved here, we discovered the fun of Hersheypark and have had season tickets each year. Having grown up going to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio, of course, we enjoy the roller coasters. But, we love the Sunday evening ‘oldies but goodies’ concerts in the amphitheater. A few weeks ago, the Lovin' Spoonfuls were there. Their Hot Time, Summer in the City, according to Billboard Magazine, is the #1 favorite summer song of all time. Did you know that when you hear music, you feel the age you were when you first fell in love with the song? Well, when I sang along with Summer in the City, I was back in high school. I remembered exactly what it feels like for you right now. I was back at the Beach with my friends. Then, the Lovin’ Spoonfuls sang Day Dream Believin' and I really got to thinking about all of you. What a day for a day dream, what a day for a day-dreaming boy … And you can be sure that if you’re feeling right, A day dream will last long into the night. Tomorrow at breakfast you may pick your ears. Or you may be daydreaming for a thousand years. … Ah, Daydreaming!
You are at a time in your life that you are looking to fulfill your dreams. Whether you’re heading off to the military, the work world, trade school, or college, I wish you enough fortitude and perseverance to make all your dreams come true.
But, what do these past years at Palmyra have to do with what you do next? What will you take from what we've given you and build upon? Everything or nothing. The choice is yours but we - all faculty sitting here as well as your parents, relatives, and friends, - all of us, really hope you will build on this foundation and move forward. The choice will be yours and yours alone.
My belief and charge to our staff is that our role has been to educate students who can learn, think, problem-solve, and serve.
To Learn:
We taught you to read and write. But, shame on us if we taught you how to read but not to LOVE TO read. Keep reading every day of your life. We taught you mathematics so that you can plan your finances, calculate your bills, and figure out how much lumber to buy when you want to build a shed. We taught you about the environment and to be scientifically literate. We taught you history and about your constitutional rights.
To Think:
For my birthday this winter, my husband and I went away for a long weekend to Mount Vernon, Williamsburg, and Jamestown. He must have thought that my age would seem inconsequential when compared to the history of Jamestown and Williamsburg. The highlight was the evening in Williamsburg when we bought tickets to a special evening discussion between Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison, all contemporaries of each other, and a special guest – Franklin Roosevelt. The topic was the intended role of the Presidency. Gifted actors who represented three of our earliest Presidents expertly roll-played the characters of those who helped develop this experiment we call democracy. When President Roosevelt rolled out onto the stage in his wheelchair about half way through the evening and brought up the question of term limits for politicians after he served 4 terms, the other 3 seemed puzzled. Term limits for Presidents? What ever do you mean? The people limit the term of a president by their vote, they said. People get the candidate that they choose.
Be sure to read up on the candidates, the issues, and their views. Then, be sure to vote in each election for the person you believe to be the best for the job. Think!
To Problem Solve:
A recent National Geographic Magazine predicted that sometime late in 2011, the earth will have 7,000,000,000 people. (That’s with a B) When Hancock and Jefferson were signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776, there were 800 Million people (That’s with an M). When I was born, there were 2.5 Billion. When you were born, there were 5.5 Billion. In the year 2050, there are projected to be 10.5 Billion. That alone will provide plenty of problems the earth has never faced. Will you be up to the challenge of solving those problems? Only if you continue to read, think, and hone your problem solving skills.
To Serve:
Some of you are heading for the military. It is honorable work. I thank you in advance for your service. I know many or you have already helped with Katrina, Haiti, Special Olympics, Four Diamonds, caring for your sisters and brothers, service learning projects, and through a host of other ways. All of us can serve one another in our daily lives and with our monetary gifts. It is through giving to others that we receive the greatest satisfaction. Be sure to give back to those who have given to you – and to the many who will never be able to repay you.
You have done well and we trust are ready to move on.
Some of you are thinking right now, oh, Dr. Van Noord, you don’t have a clue. MY greatest day in HS is today – graduation - because I am OUT OF HERE – and it isn’t a day too soon. Your teachers and I are well aware of that as well. I have a story for you, too.
Last Thanksgiving we drove out to celebrate with our family. I was given two bags of tulip bulbs from Windmill Island in Holland, MI. Tulips will only bloom in the spring if they have had the chance to freeze and lie dormant for the winter. If you remember, Thanksgiving is just when it turned cold for good and the ground froze. By early January, I concluded that there would be no thaw that would allow me to get the tulip bulbs planted in the ground in order for them to have that dormant period. Instead, I planted the bulbs compactly in the pots I had available. I put them in the garage where they could ‘freeze’ and then forced them to bloom by bringing them into the house in early spring. Most of the pots were chocked full of bright tulips. However, 2-3 pots never amounted to anything but spindly greens. I finally put them outside when the weather warmed but – nothing. I was sure that the bulbs had rotted with all the rain. Just recently, I separated the bulbs from the soil and placed the bulbs aside for next fall. Imagine my surprise when I tipped out the damp soil from the non-blooming pots, expecting to find rotting bulbs. Well, the outer layers were rotted but inside were the freshest, small, multiple, new bulbs you could imagine. Inside the mess, were new bulbs just ready to go for next year.
Some of you are like that. You may have liked school at one time but for some reason, HS just wasn’t for you. You just want OUT and to get on with your life. You will find as you mature that despite your current thinking, you did learn some things here at Palmyra. Like the bulbs, at some point, you will be ready to blossom. You, I trust, will one day appreciate what teachers here have tried to teach you – to learn, to think, to problem-solve, and to serve.
You may not know it now, but you are all making a huge change tonight. You are morphing from children to adults. Your future starts right now. Do not go to bed tonight without thanking your teachers and family who have given you so much. The future is yours. It begins now. I wish you all the greatest blessings life has to offer.
