Good evening Pilot Butte Families, friends, teachers, and Grade 8 students.
It is such an honor to stand up here and share in this celebratory night with all of you. I’m here this evening to offer congratulations to the grade 8’s as they end their time at Pilot Butte School and get ready for a new life at high school! Don’t they look so lovely, all cleaned up?!
Grade 8’s, take a second to find your mom or dad in the audience and take a look at the smile on their faces. Despite some bumps and challenges along the way, they are super proud of you tonight! You’ve put in a lot of effort and hard work to complete your elementary education. And, parents, you have hung in there, too! You should also be proud of yourselves! Raising kids is not easy, its part joy, and part guerilla warfare. But you did it Mom and Dad! Way to go! These kids up here know how much you do for them, and really do appreciate it.
In fact Mr. Wiebe overheard Sydney and Austin talking one day at school.
Sydney was heard, saying “I’m really worried. My dad works 12 hours a day to give me a nice home and food on the table!”
“My mom spends the whole day teaching and then comes home to do dishes, and laundry…I’m worried sick!”
Austin asked, “What are you worried about? It sounds like you have it made?!”
Sydney replied. “What if one of them tries to escape??!”
Well, It’s been a while since I’ve stood in front of a large group and tried to share a cohesive, thoughtful message that is meaningful yet entertaining. Sobear with me… I attempted to search out ideas for some inspiration: you tube videos, song lyrics, Ted Talks , top 10 lists… and then I realized…Iguess I was supposed to use my story for a bit of the inspiration… I kind offorget that my life and my choices may be considered worthy of sharingthese days.
The last year and a half has been an adventure and although it caused me to miss out on teaching this wonderful group of students, I got here today,relatively healthy and happy and able to wish them well in their new adventures at high school. Last year at this point, I was not well enough to attend the grade 8 farewell to say good-bye to the grade 8’s I had to leave so suddenly when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, but I’m very grateful to stand here today and share some thoughts after overcoming the biggest challenge of my life.
After having gone through the crazy experience of 17 sessions of intensive Chemotherapy, 2 surgeries, 25 sessions of radiation, 156 physiotherapy and rehab appointments, I’m still not sure if I get more looks of sympathy when I tell people I’m a cancer survivor or that I teach grade 8! Little did Iknow, that the same attitudes and attributes it takes to teach middle years, isalso useful for beating cancer!? That darn disease didn’t stand a chanceagainst someone who can call attention to 30 fourteen year olds and actually get them to follow through with the majority of the expectations while keeping them relatively safe and happy!
Like every career, there is some pretty trying moments as a middle yearsteacher. Some days where you are wondering if you are really making the impact you intended? But as long as the positive experiences outweigh the negatives, you know you’ve chosen the right age to work with every day. Mr. Wiebe, Mr. Forster and I could go on and on about the positive aspects of teaching grade 8, but I’ll share what we love most about teaching this grade….
They are eager to learn
They are willing to be directed
They are diverse and interesting
They have tons of energy- from 11am-11pm
Most of them love school
You never know what will come out of their mouths next
They want to fit in but also do well
They have great personalities
They are potty trained
They love new ideas
They have great conversation skills
They have good manners….generally
They make us laugh all the time
And along with this list, the very best thing part about teaching grade 8 students is: JULY AND AUGUST!
It is all of these aspects of this grade 8 group that prompted Mr. Wiebe andMr.Foster, as well as all of their teachers along the way, to help motivate, inspire, and encourage this group to do their very best each and every day. Teachers really do want to be known for more than contributing to the depletion of the rain forest, or being control freaks….they mostly want to be known as positive role models. They want students to see that all the attributes they are constantly preaching about, really will make a difference in their life. And that was no different for me the day I had to tell the students at Pilot Butte School that I had cancer and would have to leaveimmediately to start my treatments. The last thing a teacher wants to do is cause fear and sadness amongst a group of kids she dedicates most of her life to, but that is what I had to do. I vowed to them that day that although I couldn’t guarantee anything, I was going to do my best to show them that overcoming cancer, although terrifying, is achievable. I knew, for most of them, I would be the first person in their life with cancer. And it was important to me, to show them I could face it and conquer it. I wanted to show them no matter what gets thrown at you, if you surround yourself with good people, they will help you get through all the bad stuff, and be there with you at the end to celebrate and pat you on the back. And, I wanted to show them that it’s ok to shed tears when you’re scared, sad, frustrated, confused, and overwhelmed but regardless, you have to pick yourself up, put one foot in front of the other, and face the challenge in front of you head on.
Hopefully, from this example I tried to set, students will face theiradversities in the future with some confidence, no matter how big or small. I don’t pretend to have made all the right choices. There is no perfect recipe for handling the tough stuff life throws at you. And sometimes, a person can do everything right, and still not come out on top. I’ve been thrust into a community of people with cancer, and I’ve seen women do all things I’ve mentioned and still not survive it. And, that makes facing each day a little scary. Once you’ve had this terrible disease in your body, you can spend a lot of time wondering if it’s going to rear its ugly head at you again? There are times my mind starts to wonder about the WHAT IF’S… But really all I can do is be mindful of the moment I’m in. Tell myself I’m good today and carry on. My husband and I always remind each other of what our Pastortold us on our wedding day, and that is : like the geography of our country, life is going to have its peaks and valleys, its successes and failures. There’sgoing to be days of standing on top of the highest snow covered mountain peaks, days of strolling along the flat, old prairies, and days of treading water in the deepest, coldest ocean. And whether, you’re 14, 34, or 64, you want to find a way to make it through all of those aspects of life, learn something from the experience and know you’ve done everything you could, in those moments to be successful.
So grade 8’s, You’ve made it through the peaks and valleys of elementary school. Hopefully, you’ve learned a few things along the way, and feel good about what you’ve accomplished while you’ve been here, just as I have this last year. All of our hopes today, grade 8’s, is that you continue to growand learn as you experience all that high school has to offer and handle everything that gets thrown at you. My high school experience is one of great memories. Some bumps, yes, but I learned so much and had so much fun. I still have the same dream about high school…it will be a flash of a few days rolling along one after the other of classes, and lunches, and assignments. And all I want to do in my dream is get through the day so I can get to the gym for basketball practice. I always wake up happy remembering how much I loved the competition, being a part of a team and wearing the school name with pride. I truly hope you can find something at your high school that helps you feel included and motivates you to excel to your very best, like basketball did for me. And some other advice, while I have you attention:
1)Don't be afraid to make new friends. There are many people who share the same interests as you and are seeking a friend to share that interest with. As you make new friends, be critical of who you spend your time with. You will know fairly quickly if they share your same values.
2) Join an interesting club or sport. High school is the time to try new things, and luckily your school will haveso much to offer! Joining a club or sport is also a great way to meet people!
3) Your teachers are there to help you. High school teachers want to make sure you clearly understand the material, and are feeling comfortable and safe. No one can help you if you don’t speak up.
4) Keep communicating with your parents! If you willingly share how your day was, who you’re hanging out with, and what your plans are – they might quit asking so often! I remember feeling so annoyed at my dad firing endless questions at me the minute I walked in the door. But it is your parents job to know what’s going on, so keep them in the loop, and save yourself the barrage of questions.
5) Have fun! I cannot stress this enough! High school is supposed to be some of your greatest moments in life! Live it and love it to the fullest every day!
Parents, I considered giving you some advice on the best ways to parent teenagers in high school, but I realized that wouldn’t be right. I haven’t been in your shoes yet. But I do congratulate you for getting this far. Parenting, I have learned, is definitely the hardest job out there. Like many parents, my husband and I do the best we can, hold our breath, and hope we’ve set aside enough money for our kids therapy..
So best of luck to you! I’ll be coming to you for advice one day in a few years – so take notes!
Thank you for this lovely honour tonight. There’s no place I’d rather be than with this great group of kids in this fantastic school with my colleagues and friends. Grade 8’s as you carry through the years, surround yourself with good, quality people and continue one step at a time to prove to yourself that you, too, can face any challenge in front of you.
If you’re going to be passionate about something, be passionate aboutlearning.
If you’re going to fight for something, fight for those in need.
If you’re going to question something, question authority.
If you’re going to lose something, lose your inhibitions.
If you’re going to gain something, gain respect and confidence.
And if you’re going to hate something, hate the false idea that you are not capable of your dreams.
