Glen Head Fifth Graders Move Up!
Congratulations to all of the Glen Head fifth graders who moved up on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in a ceremony held in the North Shore High School Theatre led by Interim Principal Mrs. Alane Dugan. The ceremony began with The Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the Star Spangled Banner led by Emanuel Tsalapatanis and Luca Grella. Music teacher, Ms. Whitney Hackman then led the fifth graders in the song “Make Your Own Kind of Music” by Cass Elliot.
Interim Principal Dugan warmly welcomed the parents, family members, and friends in the audience and congratulated her fifth graders on this memorable day. She spoke about how proud she was to come to Glen Head School and what an honor it has been to be the principal. She reminded her students to work hard, be confident, and remain kind to others as they move up to North Shore Middle School. She also read a statement from Principal Peter Rufa congratulating all the fifth graders and parents on this wonderful milestone. He reminded everyone that, “When given the choice between right or kind, choose kind” – a quote from his favorite book, “Wonder.”
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Carol Smyth was then introduced and said, “Remember, as you move up to North Shore Middle School, every step allows you to explore your dreams. The North Shore Journey ahead may sometimes be challenging, but never forget that you have the strength and capability to overcome any obstacle. Your teachers and families believe in you, and most importantly you should believe in yourselves…
Principal Dr. Ryan O’Hara welcomed the fifth graders to North Shore Middle School, congratulated them on their graduation, and said it was okay to be a little nervous. It takes “guts” to admit it! He recited an original sonnet and said he was excited and proud to be their next principal at North Shore Middle School! Then music teacher, Ms. Whitney Hackman, led the students in a song titled, “Count on Me,” by Bruno Mars.
Then the moment everyone was waiting for arrived as Mrs. Dugan called each of the fifth graders to the podium to receive their diplomas. As the graduating class of 2024 was announced, all of their loving parents, families, and teachers in the audience proudly applauded with joy. Congratulations go out to the following GH fifth graders Brandon Aminov, Despina Apergis, Hasan Bajwa, Charlotte Bellocco, Giovanni Bortone, Kayla Braun, Ignacio Caminero, Rayven Campbell, Emmanuel Cartagena, Hebe Chen, Akim Chinenov, Deven Chopra, Matthew DePalma, Norah DiMeola, Coralanne Dugan-Matarrita, Ethan Flores, Stella Gold, Ariella Goziker, Chloe Goziker, Luca Grella, Cole Hadden, Daniel Hong, Colin Hsu, Lavetta Jahan, Zane Kalargiros, Oliver Kline, Andrew Koutsagelos, Laila Kukar, Elizabeth Kwak, Hannah Leipzig, Ryan Levi, Chloe Lim, Owen Lyons, Antonio Marashlian, Madeleine Mas, Joseph Massari, John Maura, Valentina Mazarakis, Ronan Nisolo, Laveen Noor, Rebecca Palen, Harmony Petrilli, Emmanuella Pilosov, Liam Puglisi, Zaira Rahman, Konstantinos Raptis, Antonio Romito, Nayla Shemsiu, Ciana Simoniello, Soni Singh, Francis Trotta, Emanuel Tsalapatanis, Jaidon Turbi, Giuseppe Turriciano, Demetrios Varkaris, Nikolaos Vasilatos, Lucas Ventegeat, Constance Wang, and Sophia Yakubov.
Thank you to all those who helped make this GH Moving Up Ceremony a success, including the GH Fifth Grade Graduation Committee! Congratulations to the GH fifth grade "Class of 2024" and the North Shore High School Graduating Class of 2031 and their respective families! Best of luck at North Shore Middle School!
Have a happy and healthy summer!
Article and photos by Shelly Newman