Address to the Class of 2013

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.