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Grade 8： Graduation Ceremony—Embark on a New Journey of Life

June 27, 2017

Grade 8： Graduation Ceremony—Embark on a New Journey of Life

The 22nd of June was a day to remember, especially to the more than two hundred members of the eighth grade community. The three years of a memorable middle school life came to an end as SHSID Middle School hosted its grand graduation ceremony.

It was two in the afternoon when all the eager students, teachers, and parents dressed in formal attire were gathered and seated within the indoor basketball court. The lavish performance of the string orchestra set the stage for the beginning of the ceremony. Student representative Alex Shi’s empowering graduation speech called on the students to do their part and go on trying their best in high school. Parent representative Emily Jiang’s mother gave a speech that shared her experience and role in her child’s growth, and Mr. Ni’s speech gained the most attention as he gave his last speech to this year’s graduates. Principal Liu has always paid close attention to everyone’s growth, and his speech put forward his hopes for the students downstage— to spread the caring spirit of SHSID and become an independent learner and global citizen.

Next was the highly anticipated moment of diploma distribution. Boys suited in tuxedos and girls dressed in gowns stood in orderly rows while walking upstage in a stern yet excited manner to receive the certificates engraved with their names. Such a thin piece of paper represents three years’ worth of a life’s journey, sealing the middle school years for these students.

The eighth grade service learning programs have been growing vigorously for the past year, and the number of on and off campus teams have multiplied. By participating in a wide array of events, students have not only strengthened their capabilities, but provided convenience for others and created precious memories. As the graduation ceremony’s service learning awarding took place, Music for Patients, Baby Home, Indigo Workshop, Smile Charity, and the News Group all received the title of Excellent Service Learning Group.

After that came the outstanding graduates awarding ceremony, where Emily Jiang, Alex Shi, Michelle Ding, Wendy Tan, Gabriel Zhang, Ziyang Gu, Richard Zhang, Justin Qiu, and Maechen Wang were honored with the decoration. These ten individuals not only excel in their studies, but also gave outstanding performances in various activities and received various awards in regional and international competitions. To be endowed with the honor of being called an honorary graduate on the last day of the school year must be an extremely memorable experience.

What’s also worth mentioning is the pleasant surprise came specially prepared this year. 12 students were invited onto the stage and they have one thing in common: they all started to study at SHSID since the first grade. Director Ni gave each of them a cup with the SHSID logo on it, which symbolizes SHSID’s lifelong love for all the students.

The Culture Bazaar’s exquisite cuisine, the Art Festival’s entertaining performances, the Science Fair’s mind-boggling knowledge, the Sports Meet’s passionate cheers, and other key moments within the middle school years were all condensed into a single graduation video that documented the past three nostalgic years of the students and teachers academic lives. At last, the graduation song “Friends Forever” was sung by the thirty singers— student representatives wearing scholar robes, who led the entire room to join in with the chorus. After, everyone threw their graduation caps into the air, creating the most climatic moment of the entire event.

Graduation is the ending of one stage of life but it is also a brand new start. Li Po, the renowned Chinese poet in the Tang Dynasty once said, “one day I will brave the strong wind and huge waves, and set off on a voyage to pursue my dream.” His words resonate with us. Congratulations to this year’s eighth grade graduates and may all their dreams come true in this new stage of life!

(Written by 8(5) Maggie Jiang Picture by SHSID Multimedia Center)