Congratulations!

I hope that everyone had a great Father's Day. Like many dads, mine taught me some things that helped get me through to adulthood; and other things that will last a lifetime. One pro tip was not to put my fingers near snapping turtles, like the one pictured that I saw yesterday while running on the Onondaga Creekwalk. In all seriousness, thanks for everything, Dad.

We held our graduation on Saturday and it was as beautiful as ever. I have known the seniors for a really long time, so it was really tough to let them go. I thought that the student speeches were excellent (mine is below), and the musical selections were really inspiring.

It was also really cool to watch Kimberly Sacco cross the stage and receive her diploma, 30 years after her classmates did. She was in the Class of 1988 but could not graduate due to a bone cancer diagnosis. Shaking her hand on the stage was a very emotional moment.

It was also really heartwarming to watch our Executive Principal, Shannon Coholan, preside over her very first high school graduation. This was number 18 for me overall so there are things that I take for granted. Ms. Coholan got to breathe it all in for the first time and it was really nice to see her very proud parents up in the stands. Congratulations to all, and a special thanks to Andy Perry for directing the music, and to Becky DeCesare, Eliza Spaulding, and Leandra Kovalchik for working with the seniors all year.

Today is going to be really warm, and we are very lucky to have air conditioning. We will make sure that the students stay cool and safe. Luckily the rest of the week looks to be a little cooler.

Thanks and enjoy the week!

Chris

GRADUATION SPEECH – Saturday, June 16, 2018

Good Afternoon, and Congratulations to all of our seniors and thank you to all of our parents for sharing your greatest gift with us. If you are here for your first graduation, I want to ease your concerns and reassure you that my speeches are always four minutes or less, or your next one is free.

Graduates, having known you for so long I have been able to watch you grow, learn, and develop your personalities and character. To say that I am proud of you is an understatement. You were tremendous role models, ambassadors, and examples for our younger students, as well as our community.

When I think of all of the experiences and time we have shared together, I want to leave you with two thoughts that are unique to you and your class as a whole.

First, I am always asked to “describe the senior class.” At Senior Ball, we enjoyed a really cool fireworks show. There was one in particular that launched up and had a pulsating light as it rose. It went higher than the others, and I could feel the suspense building in all of us. When it exploded, it was bright and vibrant, more so than the other fireworks we had seen. Then, little rockets shot out of the glowing light. In a nutshell, that firework best describes you as a class; bright, vibrant, explosive, and memorable.

Second comes a cautionary tale. When I started running years ago, I used to see the finish line and would actually slow down a little because, why not? I was almost there. Other runners would pass me before the finish, and I did not give it much thought.

At one race, after a particularly tough training season, I saw the finish line and my brain started to tell me to slow down a little. My heart and body took over from there and I sprinted through the finish, passing people along the way. I worked just as hard as every other runner if not harder, why should I let them win?

The moral of the story is that while you have excelled, this is NOT the finish line. Consider it a water stop. Life only has one true finish line - so my advice is to enjoy the ride and every milestone that you will cross, but also to keep the hammer down and have no regrets! You have too much to offer to the world to not give your best throughout your life’s journey!

Congratulations to the Class of 2018, thank you, and good luck!