Members of the Class of 2028 were celebrated at the Eighth-Grade Closing Ceremony held Friday, May 31, in Warner Arena. Proud families joined faculty and staff in recognizing students’ successful experiences in the Middle School and upcoming transition to the Upper School.

Following the prelude and processional, in which the eighth-graders and their advisors were led in by Head of School Doreen Kelly and Head of Middle School Bernardo Guzmán, three students — Grace Parker ’28, Mila Sharkady ’28 and Cameron Wolborsky ’28 — led the assembly in singing the national anthem. Fine arts teachers then performed the Ravenscroft anthem, “Behold, Our Banner Waving Aloft.”

Associate Head of School Nicole Brown then gave an invocation, and Guzmán welcomed everyone to the event. He took a moment to announce the faculty and staff awards and milestone years of service that were celebrated at an earlier employee event, then thanked Kelly, who steps down this month after 21 years as Head of School, for her service to the community and support of the Middle School.

Guzmán then turned his attention to the eighth-graders, noting, “For many of you, we met when you were in third grade! Those of you who were in Mr. Hoover’s class might remember being buddies with my first-graders. For those of you who were new to Ravenscroft in sixth grade, we started our Middle School journeys together. It’s been a pleasure watching you all grow and mature into the high schoolers you’re about to be. You’re about to transition into a new world in your educational journey.”

He went on to encourage them to “be curious about people” as they enter their high school years:

While you’re enrolled here or elsewhere, you’ll continue learning how best to be a student — a math student, an English student, a student of history. Don’t forget to be a student of people. ... I am a firm believer that if you ask the right questions, everyone is interesting. Instead of making up someone’s story in your head based on preconceived notions, ask them to tell you themselves. 

… The sooner you develop a sincere curiosity about people and their inner lives, the sooner you’ll start to learn from them. As one of my favorite bands, Dawes, states, “It’s really hard to hate anyone when you know what they’ve lived through.” Each day as you continue your journey through high school and beyond, you’ll be surrounded by lots of people. Be curious about who they are and what drives them. They might just return the favor. 

The Eighth-Grade Choir then performed “Shine.”

Next, Guzmán and Kelly were assisted by Brown and the eighth-grade advisors in presenting certificates of completion to the Class of 2028. After they crossed the stage, they were warmly welcomed to the Upper School by Head of Upper School Aaron Sundstrom.

Following the recessional, students and their families enjoyed a reception in the dining hall of the Olander Center for Student Life at the A.E. Finley Activity Center. Congratulations to the Class of 2028!

View the program here. Enjoy photos from the event on our Flickr page.