8th Grade Farewell Address - Emma W.

8th grade Farewell AddressThe marathon of middle school is almost complete, and as any athlete knows, the end of the race is the most gratifying and arduous part. In any competition, the end of the race is when you push yourself to your limits and beyond because you know that all the hard work put in will pay off by giving you a sense of achievement when you cross the finish line. But the work is not finished when the race is. You don’t just stop after the race. You get back up and try again, all so you can be the best you can be. In the same way, middle school is only the preliminary race of the many races you have yet to run in your lifetime. The end of one race helps you see the growth and maturity gained, but also signals the start of another race, just begun. By the end of our lives, we are all experienced athletes in our own endeavors. And the end of this race has shown me how much Jordan has helped me to grow, and has prepared me for all the races to come.While preparing for high school and beyond, the students at Jordan have become stellar examples of what it means to be not just a good, but great citizen, and this is only through the standards set before us by other students and the staff here at Jordan. Everyday, students are reminded of the principles we all strive to uphold-not just at Jordan, but the whole world. We are prepared to uphold the Jordan ROCKS standard not just now, but for the rest of our lives. Student who use the Jordan ROCKS standards on a daily basis are similar to runners who practice using correct form when running, so they can avoid injuries and can run more efficiently. Every runner has fallen down and has been hurt before because they made mistakes. But behind every runner is a coach, who is willing to not only cheer their runner on, but also correct and mentor their runner too. Our coaches are our teachers. From the sixth grade teachers who taught us the basics of middle school, to the eighth grade teachers who challenge us everyday. Each coach is not only there for their runner, but also with their runner for every step of the race. And the teachers here at Jordan have been with us every step of the way, all so that we can cross the finish line. So that we can finish and know that we should be proud of all we have accomplished over these past three years.Some of those accomplishments have been small, like learning how to open combo locks and learning the “Take a Stand, Lend a Hand, Stop Bullying Now!” Jingle from Guidance. We have decided what our major interests are, ranging from art to intramural volleyball. We have become our own unique individuals, and we are not afraid to be different in our own ways. These are some of the small changes that have touched all of our lives. But some of those accomplishments have been very large. We have made Jordan a more inclusive community by having events such as the Day of Silence and Challenge Day events. The Jordan community shows support to those who are struggling to overcome problems like shyness or bullying. And most importantly, our class has become more unified as a whole. No matter what “type” of group you “belong” to, you still feel like part of a larger community within your grade. Just as a runner slowly joins their fellow runners during a race, we have become more connected and more confident in our abilities to help us in the future, and now we can only look to the future by observing what has been done by our predecessors. We look at what they had to struggle through so that we might have the opportunity to achieve what they did and more.Over this past year, we have looked back on our history as a country, and how our country is deeply affected, even now, by policies and traditions set at the very founding of our country. In light of the past election, we have learned about instances in which the country went through similar tumult, and the causes and effects of those events. We look back at history so we can learn from our mistakes, and avoid events like the civil war from occurring again. We have learned that as a citizen, it is our right and our duty to hold our government accountable and to make a change in our country, just like our founding fathers held Britain accountable for taxation without representation, and unfounded violence. We have learned that we can make a change in the world that can help us, our world, and future generations.But perhaps the most imminent ‘future generation’ are the incoming sixth graders. To them I say, You have a new race to run, and as in any race, it will have its ups and downs. There will be moments when you doubt yourself. But you must believe. Believe that yes, you can do anything you set your mind to, even if you need to ask for help. Believe that you belong and have people who care for you throughout the hard times and the good times too. Believe that it is okay to not understand something. Believe that you can be successful because you have an entire school behind you, willing to support and encourage you the entire race long. We are your cheering squad, and you can do it if you just believe. You are entering a place where you will be challenged, changed, and will come out stronger. It may seem far away, but you will finish the race as an experienced eighth grader ready for whatever life will throw at you during the races to come. As we draw nearer to the finish line, we also can feel proud of all the hard hours that went into achieving all you have done to get this far. We have learned all we possibly could have, and now we must move on. Just as a runner will move on from 5Ks and progressively move to run marathons, we move into the world. We will utilize the skills we have acquired here at Jordan to help make our schools a better place. Not only will we improve our schools, we will later use our skills to help our world by standing up for the fundamental rights of freedom and liberty-just like our founding fathers. We need to stand up and make a change so that we can ensure that our world will still be here for future generations, not ravished by war or weather. We need to be the change.And our newest change yet is saying goodbye to Jordan. You have helped us grow not only concretely, but also intellectually, as we prepare for the next race ahead of us; high school. Jordan is the cheering squad for this tired group of runners, and you tell us to “finish strong” so that we can say we finished with our very best. Thank you for your time and effort invested in our class, the Class of 2017. You will be remembered fondly as the place where one learns to believe.