Families, staff and friends gathered at the Haines Elementary gym May 23 to witness the promotion of the eighth-grade class to Haines High School. Twenty-five students, including two homeschool students, were promoted.
Haines School Principal Cheryl Stickler said grade promotion is a right of passage worth celebrating. “The movement from the younger learner to the more mature learner is recognized as a very large step,” says Stickler. “It’s an opportunity to blossom and grow, and to share our gifts.”
Stickler said the class sets high expectations for themselves and each other. The majority of the class are honor roll students. “One of the things that sets this group apart is it’s a class of very strong individuals. There’s the opportunity to learn that when we move together as a community, we create that opportunity to get further ahead than we could on our own.”
Student Council President Neil Little was the opening speaker. Jenae Larson presented the Waid Morgan Award to classmate Kayley Swinton. The award is given to an eighth grader who demonstrates excellence and is chosen by his or her classmates. Larson described Swinton as “very, very athletic, nice and funny.”
Recipients of the Presidential Award received a 3.0 grade point average in their seventh and eighth grade years and 80 percent or higher on standardized testing. Awardees were Casey Bradford, Alexandria Chapin, Destinee Cowart, Autumn Gross, Kai Hays, Corinna Hill, Jenae Larson, Bailey Stuart, Kayley Swinton and Hannah Thomas.
Eighth graders on the four-quarter honor roll, who received a 3.4 grade point average for the year, are Alexandria Chapin, Destinee Cowart, Corinna Hill, Jenae Larson, Neil Little, Bailey Stuart, Kayley Swinton and Hannah Thomas.