Welcome Class of 2022! This is an evening of celebrating YOU - each of you! - and your time spent as Plainfield Elementary School students.
I have not had the good fortune to be here for your whole journey and I know your class has faced some significant challenges - especially these past two years. While I am truly sorry your experience was so altered by Covid, I can’t help but think of all the things it has taught you. Here are just a few of the things that stand out to me in the short time I’ve known you:
You are adaptable - sometimes you groan and get discouraged, but you never cease to keep moving forward and deal with whatever is thrown your way. You also take feedback - sometimes some pretty tough to hear feedback - and make changes in some incredibly positive ways.
You are creative - from outdoor dances to changing the way you do your class trip, this class has proven over and over again that you can think outside the box. Oh, and you’re great at designing bulletin boards (even if it is mostly just to get out of outdoor recess in freezing temperatures!)
You have a sense of humor - alright sometimes it gets you in trouble - but you definitely like to laugh. Don’t ever lose that…it’s important. Just remember it’s even funnier when it’s NOT at someone else’s expense.
And you have a huge capacity for growth. In fact, each and every one of you have grown in so many ways this year - from getting taller, to presenting TED Talks in ELA, representing PES at the VINS Symposium, demonstrating good sportsmanship on our teams, and learning from mistakes when you make them. Right before our eyes, you are becoming young adults and I am proud of each and everyone of you…we all are proud of you.
Whether you joined us just this year or have been here in Plainfield since Kindergarten, you are surrounded by an audience filled with people who care deeply about you and your well-being. You are ready for the next step and while you are sure to face challenges along the way, you have the knowledge, experiences and supports - the people right here in this room - you can fall back on whenever you need to.
Perhaps even more importantly - you have each other. As you head off to Lebanon High School, Kimball Union, or beyond, never underestimate the power of the Plainfield bond. You will make new friends for sure and those friendships will take their own special place in your lives. Some of you will stay close and some may drift apart. But this foundation, these people you’ve celebrated birthdays and milestones with for the past 9 years, these people that know you and all your quirks - will surprise you in the ways they can be there for you if you just ask. I hope you will ask and I hope if someone here on this stage ever asks you to be there for them, the answer will always be yes.
Thank you, Class of 2022, for allowing me the opportunity to share in your last year at Plainfield. On behalf of the administration, faculty, and staff, our hope for each of you is that you continue to care for one another, work hard toward your dreams, and always bring the spirit of a small, caring community to your next chapters in life. And most of all, we hope you experience true joy and happiness in the days, weeks and years to come.