John Glenn Middle School Eighth Graders Celebrate: They’re Moving On Up to High School

There was a large crowd for last week’s Moving Up ceremony held at Sabourin Field. Courtesy Photo by Rob Ackerman (www.reackerman.com)

After three challenging and growth-filled years, the Class of 2027 had their moving-on ceremony as they made their way up from the John Glenn Middle School and on to High School.

The JGMS Chorus sings “Walk Through Life” by Pinkzebra during the recent Moving Up ceremony. Photo by Toby Favalora

The event started with the National Anthem, performed by members of the eighth-grade chorus.

Middle school is one of the most challenging transitions for many students, and for the Class of 2027, that process was made even more challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic. As JGMS principal Jonathan Hartunian said during his opening remarks, “This class missed out on many opportunities. First, they missed out on their fifth-grade experiences at the end of the year. Then, when they came to middle school, they missed out on Step Up days and Locker Days, and even the Nature’s Classroom trip… The most important thing they missed out on is proper socialization that happens at the end of fifth grade and into sixth grade.”

Hartunian also emphasized his pride in the examples of “HEART” – Honor, Empathy, Acceptance, Responsibility, and Tenacity – shown by the grade throughout the year. He cited American Airlines reaching out during the Costa Rica trip to compliment students’ behavior on the airplane, sports teams going a combined 62-23-1, and numerous other academic and social accomplishments.

The eighth-grade chorus, directed by performing arts teacher Katrina Faulstich, sang “Walk Through Life” by Pinkzebra before the academic awards were presented. These awards were given to students who went above and beyond in each respective subject. The recipients are listed below.

Principal Jonathan Hartunian congratulated each of the eighth graders moving up to High School next fall. Courtesy photo by Rob Ackerman (www.reackerman.com)

For the main event, every student of in the eighth-grade class was acknowledged for completing middle school and honored for their hard work. Each student had their name called as they walked across the stage to receive a certificate and a handshake from their principal before sitting back down with their families. Following the ceremony, the students walked across the street to celebrate together for a student only picnic with games and activities outside the middle school.

For these students, this wasn’t just another award ceremony. It was much-needed recognition for the incredibly difficult challenges they faced during the past three years. As one JGMS student said, “It was an awesome end to these challenging three years.”

Annual awards:

Principal’s Award: