Middle Schoolers Look to a Bright Future in Upper School

This year’s Middle School Promotion, which took place on Monday, June 8, marked one of the final ceremonial traditions of the school year. This year’s Promotion began with the procession of eighth graders into RSPA Panther Hall, past proud parents, friends and teachers. Eighth grader Erika Serhus led the audience in saying the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the Invocation, given by Honor Code Committee member Madison Price. Then Mrs. Kathleen Deeken, Head of Middle School, welcomed students and guests, encouraging the soon-to-be Upper Schoolers to look to the future and quoting Oliver Wendall Holmes saying, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Dr. Lawrence Sykoff, Head of School, offered students his own congratulations, reminding them that they will have to work hard for success, but emphasizing that the “most successful people are those who grow up loving what they do.” He then led the awards presentations by announcing the first of several awards recipients.

The Trustees’ Award for Excellence
Erika Serhus and Eric Schneider

The Tushar Bhatnagar Award
Rachel Burstiner and Madison Price.

The Middle School Leadership Award
Jordan Hesslein and Alexandra Seneca

The Ann Kappel Citizenship and Service Award
James Soldati and Amelia Sollitti

The Middle School Panther Perseverance Award
Matthew Callahan

Kendall Torpey, Student Council president; Jordan Hesslein, Student Council vice president; and Alexandra Seneca, Honor Code Committee president each spoke to the audience about what Ranney’s motto, “Knowledge, Vision, Honor”, means to them, followed by David Ketcham, eighth grade Dean, and Sasha Taylor, Honor Code Committee member, who presented Dr. Sykoff with the class gift - a check for $2,500 for the Student-to-Student Scholarship Fund.

The Junior Tri-M Awards, which take the form of grants and are to be used for summer music study, were presented by Lower and Middle School music teacher and Junior Tri-M Chapter 4410 Advisor Mrs. Lillianne Torrente. This year’s awards were presented to Veronika Fischer, Jordan Hesslein and Alexandra Seneca.

Throughout the ceremony, the audience was treated to performances by the Middle School Chorus, singing “Elijah and Joshua” by Sally K. Albrecht and “The Best Day” by Taylor Swift; and the Middle School Orchestra, playing “Entrance of the Queen Sheba from Solomon” by G. F. Handel.

When the Presentation of Promotion Certificates portion of the ceremony arrived, the graduating eighth graders stepped up to the podium to accept their certificates along with enthusiastic congratulations from Mrs. Deeken and Dr. Sykoff, making official their transition from Middle to Upper School.

Then with a few words of welcome from Upper School Head John Lewis, James Soldati, a member of the Honor Code Committee, brought a close to the festivities with a thoughtful Benediction. With that, the Middle School Promotion ceremony came full circle. The graduates left Panther Hall to Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Joyful, Joyful” and rousing applause, and headed off to summer vacation.

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.