There is always a special energy in the room during Eighth Grade Continuation at Colorado Academy.
Family and friends fill the seats, and the Eighth Graders bring with them an air of excitement, sharing hugs before they take their seats. They are half nervous about what next year will bring, but they are happy to be moving ahead in their personal and academic lives.
View and download candid photos from the Eighth Grade Continuation.
View and download onstage photos during the Eighth Grade tributes.
Advice from the Head of School
At the 2022 Eighth Grade Continuation ceremony at CA, Head of School Dr. Mike Davis thanked the families of these students for “demonstrating their belief in the value of education by sending you to Colorado Academy.”
“There are few gifts as valuable as receiving an education,” Davis said. “The foundation you have received will allow you to rise up to meet your full potential and become leaders. Someday, you will recognize the profound gift your parents have given you.”
Davis gave the Eighth Graders three pieces of advice for the next four years: “Work hard. Get to know your teachers and friends. Find a passion.”
“Following these three simple pieces of advice will allow you the flexibility to chart your own path and be successful,” Davis said. “You have achieved a lot, but there is a lot more before you. Enjoy the journey.”
Advice from the Middle School Principal
Middle School Principal Bill Wolf-Tinsman addressed students directly, encouraging them to be “superheroes” by “stomping out bigotry and discrimination wherever we see it.”
He reminded the students of the message brought to Middle School by a Somali refugee speaker this year.
“We, too, can overcome the small and large roadblocks life places in our path,” Wolf-Tinsman said. “They are never too large or too scary.”
Finally, he invoked the life of Madeleine Albright, the first woman to hold the post of Secretary of State, and shared a quote from her: “Resilience of spirit (far more than brilliance of intellect) is the essential ingredient of a full life.”
“Each of you is unique,” Wolf-Tinsman said. “Each of you has gifts to share with the world, now and in the future. Take these gifts, your many, many talents and abilities, and bring them into the full light of day.”
Completing Continuation
Middle School Student Council President Gideon Silverman-Joseph thanked the teachers “for making our experience in Middle School compelling and meaningful.”
“You all were incredible at bringing out our creativity and confidence,” he said. “You recognized our strengths and were committed to understanding us as individuals, and for that, we are grateful.”
No Continuation would be complete without the student accolades delivered by the many teachers who have inspired these students during their Middle School years. Each student was honored with their moment in the spotlight, as teachers shared their memories.
The Middle School Choir performed “Blackbird,” and on this day the lyrics took on new meaning: “You were only waiting for this moment to arise.”
And with those words, the Eighth Graders headed on to Upper School—to new challenges, new successes, and a chance to make new memories.