The OLHMS 8th graders are on their way to high school! This past week, the oldest Mustangs were able to celebrate their accomplishments throughout their middle school careers.
On Thursday, May 25th, Mustangs headed to Six Flags for the annual 8th grade trip. Students wore their new “Class of 2023” shirt and enjoyed the beautiful day riding roller coasters, walking around with friends, and making memories together! The annual Six Flags trip was deemed to be a success! “We had the perfect day for Six Flags! The weather wasn’t too hot and wasn’t too cold. I loved being able to spend time with my friends.” - Carter G.
The 8th grade graduation dance was held on Friday, May 26th. This year’s dance was themed “Hollywood Nights.” The night was surely brought to life by the incredible PTSA volunteers who decorated, provided snacks, took pictures at the photo booth, and so much more! “This was one of the best events we had this year! It was so much fun hanging out with my friends and taking pictures at the photo booth!” - Hendryx G.
Reality started to sink in for our 8th graders on Tuesday, May 30th! Graduation gowns and tickets were distributed to students and the first graduation practice took place! Taylor D. shared “I can’t believe that we are actually graduating! We’re going to high school, and that’s crazy!”. 8th grade scholars were able to take a trip down memory lane as they paraded the hallways of their elementary schools during the elementary school graduation walks! “I’ve had so many amazing memories while attending D123,” said Norah O., “This is one of the memories I’ve been waiting for all year - walking through the halls of Kolmar one more time. I will never forget all that I’ve learned at Kolmar and OLHMS and can only thank the teachers and staff who helped me get to where I am today!”
Proud parents and guardians flooded the building on Wednesday, May 31st to continue celebrating their scholars’ achievements. In the morning, the very first SELECT 123 Awards ceremony was held for the 23 scholars who are honored by the OLHMS administrators and community as well as representing OLHMS at their high school. “I feel so honored to have been chosen as one of the first D123 Select Scholars! I’m so happy that Dr. McNichols and the OLHMS Administration created this award!” - Rylee A.. Later that day, 8th graders continued their celebrations with their families during the Awards assembly that recognized students who received various honors and awards throughout the year! “I feel so honored to receive so many awards. I’m ready for the next steps - high school!” - Rocco V.
This particular group of scholars has had quite the interesting middle school experience. It’s hard to believe that when they were in 6th grade, our world was still adjusting to the new “norm” of COVID-19. Some of these scholars stayed home and were 100% remote learning while others came to school on a Hybrid schedule. These students sat in the same desk for all of their Core classes and wore masks the entire year. Things got better for the Class of 2023 in 7th grade - they were finally able to mingle with their classmates, move from class to class, and eat lunch together in the cafeteria. We were still wearing masks for most of their 7th grade year, until finally the restrictions were lifted! These resilient students dealt with the most changes during their middle school days but were finally able to have their chance of a normal middle school year for 8th grade, and they did just that!
Now, the Graduating Class of 2023 is spending their last day as middle schoolers before they cross the stage to graduate on Thursday evening. While we will certainly miss the Class of 2023, we know that they are ready to take their next step into high school. Congratulations, Mustangs! Your OLHMS family is so proud of you!
