LYNNFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL recognized the accomplishments of 199 eighth-graders during the annual moving on ceremony on June 15. (Dan Tomasello Photo)

 

 

 

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — Lynnfield Middle School celebrated the accomplishments of 199 eighth-graders during the annual moving on ceremony on June 15.

The moving on ceremony was held outside in front of the middle school entrance for the third straight year, and featured a large crowd of students, families, educators and school officials. The ceremony began with Student Council Vice President Ben Clancy reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance.”

Student Council President Evan Gately welcomed families, educators and students to the middle school’s moving on ceremony. He thanked Middle School Principal Stephen Ralston, Assistant Principal Jeremy Greenwood and the middle school’s faculty and staff for their “support and encouragement” over their four years attending LMS.

“It seems just like yesterday we entered the doors of Lynnfield Middle School from Summer Street and Huckleberry to transition to a bigger and better school,” said Evan. “At Huckleberry and Summer Street, we stayed in the same class every day to learn the core subjects. At LMS, we had teachers in charge of each subject.”

 

LMS STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT Evan Gately said he and his classmates are ready for high school during his speech at the moving on ceremony on June 15. (Dan Tomasello Photo)

 

Evan recalled that the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close in March 2020 while the eighth-graders were in fifth grade.

“Our teachers said goodbye to us from Zoom and we were not sure if we would ever return to school again,” said Evan. “Sixth grade was our hybrid year. Half of us were in class while the other half was on Zoom in the comfort of their own home. Some of us were in our pajamas and our cameras were off until our parents or guardians yelled at us to turn them back on and get off the video games. Our teachers made the best of it, and tried to do fun activities even though we had to social distance.”

Evan said middle school started to “get back to normal” while the eighth-graders were in seventh grade.

“One of the most memorable things about seventh grade was our all school winter and spring Pioneer Games,” said Evan. “Each homeroom had to choose a colored rock and that color was the team you were on. The whole school was involved and we played competitive games to win. Even though my team did not win, it was a team effort and our friendships grew.”

Evan said the 199 students became “leaders of our school” in eighth grade.

“Each of us is now moving from the comfort of the middle school to the unknown of high school,” said Evan. “Middle school has thoroughly prepared us for high school. And I feel like every single one of us is ready. As Alexander Graham Bell once said, ‘When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretful upon the closed door that we don’t see the one which has opened for us.’ During high school, many doors are open for you to choose from. It is your choice which one you walk through.”

After Evan concluded his remarks, he was given a round of applause.

Ralston welcomed students and attendees to the LMS moving on ceremony. He thanked the middle school’s faculty and staff for “getting school back to normal this year.” He also thanked the Moving On Committee and parent volunteers for making the event “a special time” for the eighth-graders.

“You entered these doors at LMS as fifth-graders who were 10-years-old,” said Ralston to the eighth-graders. “Tonight, as teenagers, you move on and enter high school.”

Ralston noted that middle school is a “very challenging” time for students, and acknowledged that the pandemic compounded the issue.

“During your time here, you have learned more about yourself than about any individual subject,” said Ralston. “Your first three years here were wrought with terms such as asynchronous, remote, hybrid, cohort, quarantine, social distancing and contact tracing. It has been quite a ride. As you exit Lynnfield Middle School, I thank you for being a class who has really stepped up despite all that you had to endure. I sincerely wish you all the best as you enter your next four years as high school students. Seize every opportunity and challenge you are presented with. Get involved, be yourself and know that kindness, effort and citizenship will always serve you well.”

Ralston also asked that the eighth-graders and the ceremony’s attendees to hold a moment of silence in honor of Sophia Maglione.

“Sophia passed away two years ago after a long and courageous battle with cancer,” said Ralston.

 

STUDENT COUNCIL SECRETARY Lauren Mattia presents the class gift, the Sophia Maglione Award plaque, during the Lynnfield Middle School moving on ceremony on June 15. Sophia passed away from cancer in February 2021. (Dan Tomasello Photo)

 

Student Council Secretary Lauren Mattia announced the class gifts. In addition to the traditional plaque that will be put on display in LMS, Lauren said the class gift will be another plaque that will recognize the winners of the newly created Sophia Maglione Award.

“This year’s class gift is a special one,” said Lauren. “It’s meant to honor and remember our former classmate Sophia Maglione. Before she passed in February 2021, Sophia fought and survived two battles against medulloblastoma, which is a brain and spinal cancer. A few things that Sophia loved most was baking, dolls and nature, especially butterflies. She also loved the color purple. To remember, honor and celebrate her life, we wear purple ribbons every September. Sophia’s personality will never be forgotten. In the words of her dear friend and our classmate Ella Price, ‘she was optimistic, was fiercely loyal to her friends and loved to make people laugh. She was kind, smart and sassy.’”

Lauren recalled that, “One of Sophia’s most notable personality traits was her kindness.”

“This year’s class gift, the Sophia Maglione Award, was presented to one student who exemplified kindness for the past four years here at Lynnfield Middle School,” said Lauren. “We will always remember the kindness that Sophia Maglione had. We will never forget Sophia. I would like to congratulate Jack Martino for being the first winner of the Sophia Maglione Award.”

Jack and Lauren were both given a loud round of applause.

The ceremony concluded with Ralston, Greenwood and eighth grade English teacher Michelle Kane presenting certificates to the students.

Moving on

The eighth-graders moving on from Lynnfield Middle School are Mahir Akhter, Nour Al-Hassan Al-Mamori, Redha Al-Mamori, Kiara Alarcon, Layla Allen, Francesca Aloise, Rishabh Anand, Faith Angelo, Giada Antidormi, Joel Attubato, Kaylee Barrett, Rowan Bayer, Chase Bergeron, Chloe Bergeron, Samuel Bird, Stefania Bonavita, Gianluca Bottaro, Jamie Broady, Dante Bucci, Chase Buoniconti, Jared Burke, John Burns, Shana Butter, Jordan Calichman, Kyani Campbell, Mia Capodilupo, Cameron Carangelo, Andrew Carbone, Sophia Catinazzo, Zachary Chiarella, Grace Childress, Benjamin Clancy, Brady Cole, Jacob Cordero, Andrew Covino, Angelo Covino, Drew Cuddy, Charles Cumming, Gabriella D’Ambrosio, Ava Damiani, Ethan DeFreitas and Cameron Dembro.

As well as Lucas Deraps, Evan Diranian, Hannah Doherty, Ephram Donahue, Callie Donovan, Sophia Duni, Cara Duprey, Kellen Farias, Richard Federico, Brooke Fenderson, Joseph Ferullo, Grayson Field, Maura Flaws, Justin Flores, Zachary Fredette, Ava Freni, Liam Gardner, Evan Gately, Anthony George, Sofia Giardina, Mason Glinski, Karolena Gomez, Anna Gorman, Ryan Gorman, Emma Greenleaf, Melina Haggis, Avery Haney, Abigail Harris, Oliver Harth, Magdalyn Hatzis, Cole Hixon, Nino Jaliashvili, Xander Janicki, Alex Karis, Shea Killeen, Brendan Koleszar, Subhang Konduri, Jason Kouyoumdjian, Max Ladd, Phoebe Lambros, Stephanie Lane, Sebastian Langdon, Serena Long, Bennett Luba, Gavin Luongo and Lily MacEachern.

In addition to Shane MacEachern, Tyler Maciorowski, Cole MacKinnon, Allison Maddocks, Sophia Maglione, Ritvik Mahajan, Delilah Mahnfeldt, Nathan Malenfant, Andrew Maliawco, Emily Malone, Audrey Manning, Nicholas Marini, Anthony Marino, Neico Marino, Elizabeth Marley, Jack Martino, Adrian Marton, Lauren Mattia, Noah Mazzola, Lyla McCormick, Chloe McEwen, Katie McGuinness, Dillon McKeough, Nate McQueen, Lilli McSweeney, Yanni Menezes, Kira Miles, Vincent Minichiello, Victoria Minor, Sarah Mitchell, Isabella Mizzoni, Jada Moga, Elliana Moretti, Oliver Morgan, Luke Moschella, Jude Moscoffian, Dahryel Motto, Jaycen Murphy, Olivia Myteberi, Grant Neal, Devon Neenan, Lorenzo Nieves, Calla Norden and Sophie O’Toole.

The remaining eighth-graders moving on from LMS are Prabhsimar Pabla, Kathryn Palmer, Siyeon Park, James Pasquale, John Powers, Ella Price, Inaayah Qazafi, Adriana Regitano, Brendan Reilly, Mia Roostaie-Moore, Joseph Rosa, Charlotte Rose, Isabella Ruocco, Olivia Ryou, Selena Saab, Aliah Salinas, Rafael Santos, Lara Schmitz, Nirvahn Sharma, Kate Shrewsbury, Sattyartha Singh, Ryan Sjoberg, Madison Sloan, Meagan Sloan, Ava Sonek, Lindsay Squadrito, Neal String, Thayer Sutherland, Ryan Swales, Allison Sweeney, Abdur Rafay Syed, Olivia Sylvester, Niko Tammaro, Jad Tannous, Sophia Tramontozzi, Jason Tran, Brady Trippe, Zachary Unger, Juliette Vaccaro, Hayden Valiton, Grant Vargas, Emma Wagon, Carson Waldo, Kenneth Waldron-Price, Campbell Wallin, Coleman Walsh, Maeve Wertz and Hasil Zaidy.