For Three years we have called this building home. It has been a haven and a torture cell, but for three years it has been ours. Now we are leaving it. These walls have seen our smiles and our frowns, our tears and our laughter, our heartbreaks, our joyful moments, our anger, our relief. These walls have housed us, They have kept us safe, but alas, these walls must see us go.
I have noticed a change come over us. A month ago, we were counting down until summer, now, with only hours left, I have found that we are dreading leaving. We fear the future. I would instead have us look at the joys of the past.
Most of us came to this building in sixth grade, we were small, inexperienced and afraid, but four teachers took us under their wings: Ms. Royo, Ms. Gaudiano, Ms. Shibuta and Ms. Brown. Then, before we knew it, we were whisked away into a new, exciting world called seventh grade. We saw friends come and go that year, but with the help of our numerous teachers, we pressed onward. Seventh grade ended, and Eighth began. We finally saw the harbor: the end of the Journey that we began in sixth grade. Now, however, we see that this harbor is not our destination, but rather, a port to re-supply for the next leg of our voyage.
Now that we have matured, and seen the rough seas in front of us, those that we have passed seem like a gentle, calm, wondrous passage compared with the uncharted waters of the future. In olden times, when there was little or nothing known about parts of the ocean, mapmakers would label them with the line Here There be Monsters. We know little or nothing about the future, so we too have labeled High school with the term Here There be Monsters. We have no idea what it will be like and so we fear it. But these waters are not truly unknown: Our teachers have passed through before us and they have prepared us to follow in their wake. I would like to thank Ms. Brown for all of her work in not only teaching us, but in making sure we were ready. When we passed her in the beginning of the year, our sails were torn and our rudders were slow to respond to the tiller, but she saw our need and patched our sails. She fixed our rudders and now we are ready to sail onward.
Our other teachers also saw our need and they made sure that our charts were accurate and our instruments precise. We will always remember the help you have given us and we are grateful for it. In seventh and eighth grade, we have had so many teachers, so I am unable to thank you all, but we will always cherish this leg of the journey: For, though we boldly sail into the future, we will always take time to remember the Past. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for helping us make it.
