Memories 9: Grade 7 / Age 12

Where I live, grade 7 is your last year of elementary school, I had been a student at Lord Byng since Kindergarten and it felt like home.  At the end of the year, I was asked to give the Grade 7 farewell speech; I was honoured to be asked and put a lot of time and effort into the endeavour.

My entire family, including my gramma, came to see me speak (or so I thought), which was both exciting and nerve wracking.  Before the speeches, came the awards.  I wasn't expecting to receive any, so when they called my name for the June Chiba Humanitarian Award, I was in complete awe.  Our Principal Mrs. Chiba had passed away a few years prior and the award was intended to honour a student who displayed her loyalty, compassion and goodwill.

After receiving the award, I was on cloud nine.  I felt so proud to stand up before my friends and family, to share my thoughts on graduation. 

Next year the grade seven's will be moving on to Junior High.  Everything is going to change.  The grade six's will become grade seven's.  The grade seven's will move on the grade eight, and most of us will become the little kids in kindergarten again.  Just like our first day of school at Byng, we will be new.

If Junior High is kindergarten, then elementary school is preschool.  Once you arrive at kindergarten, your on your own again.  Most of your friends have moved on to kindergarten at other schools.

Going into kindergarten we were afraid of all those big people at the school.  But we survived, and made friends, and it will happen again.

But there is one difference, going into kindergarten you think about building blocks and dinosaurs, but going into Junior High you think about the future.

Thank you.

Pretty profound for a 12 year old if you ask me.

This is post 9/15 and is part of Mommy's Piggy Tales

Make sure you check out all the other great posts here!