Cherry Avenue Fifth Graders are Moving on Up

held its fifth grade moving up ceremony on June 22 at the Old Junior High School. After the Pledge of Allegiance and Star Spangled Banner, Cherry Avenue principal Dr. John Stimmel welcomed the 2011 graduating class.

The awards ceremony began with the County Executive Public Service Award presented to Alexa Villez. Michael Lofaro received the NYS Comptroller’s Achievement Award. The winners of the NYS Attorney General, Eric T. Schneiderman, Triple C Awards were Abigail Newman and Daniel McCabe. Suffolk County Legislator Bill Lindsay presented the Presiding Officer’s Award to C. J. Hichborn. Jack Luceri and Brigid Lipari received the Marjorie Kemper Awards.

The Suffolk Zone Physical Fitness Awards were presented to Ryan Hendrickson and Chloe Argenziano. A number of fifth graders received the Presidential Academic Fitness Award (Gold). They include: John Anderson; Emily Aracri; Chloe Argenziano; Christopher Castelli; Helen Ciavolella; Kaitlyn Crisalli; James Cummings; Kathryn Donohue; Amelia Flaumenhaft; Amy Fullam; Devin Haber; Ryan Hendrickson; Christopher Hichborn; Katherine McClellan; Cole Parrott; Daniel Perun; Ryan Seibert; Madison Villany; Alexa Villez; and Amanda Wessels.

The Presidential Academic Achievement Award (Silver) winners were: Gabriel Albano; Andrew Braverman; Cade Hansen; Meghan Hart; Hailey Keyser; Claudia Lynch; Sophia Mazzaglia; Marnie Monahan; Abigail Newman; Lyla Patterson; Daniel Wilson; and Mikayla Zemen.

The National Physical Fitness Awards went to: Brigid Lipari; Emily Acacri; Thomas Witt; Andrew Braverman; Kate Donohue; Meghan Hart; Meghan Kelly; Amelia Flaumenhaft; Lyla Patterson; Joseph Delaney; C.J. Hichborn; Daniel Perun; Evan Hendrickson; Gabe Albano; Joseph Ferrara; Katherine McClellan; Claudia Lynch; Kaitlyn Crisalli; Olivia Davidson; John Anderson; Cade Hansen; Sam Zanchelli; Ryan Seibert; Madison Villany; Mikayla Zeman; Chloe Argenziano; Kristen Slevin; Abigail Newman; Gillian Stuven; and Imani King.

The Presidential Physical Fitness Awards were presented to: Michelle Eremita; Michael Lofaro; Amy Fullam; Devin Dolan; Devin Haber; Jack Luceri; and Ryan Hendrickson.

The fifth graders and their family and friends were then treated to a slideshow, a trip down memory lane of their last six years at Cherry Avenue. The fifth graders also showed off their talents with two songs, “Rockin’ Cherry” and “For Just a Little While,” with fifth grade graduate Jimmy Cummings on the piano. The 2011 graduating class presented a gift for the new media center, a wall hanging with all their headshots that reads “Today a Reader. Tomorrow a Leader.” 

Dr. Stimmel’s closing remarks left the children with their final Cherry Avenue lesson. A few students were called front and center to hold some of Dr. Stimmel’s props. “It has become a tradition at Cherry Avenue for me to hold the last lesson – a summation of what all the teachers and your parents have taught you over the last six years,” he said. “A lantern because each one of you has special and unique talents – let you light shine through when the world is dark. Megaphones so you know that your ideas matter, so let your voice be heard. A telescope and a microscope to continue your hunger and thirst for knowledge. The movie ‘Meet the Robinsons’ because the message in that movie is true failure is not making mistakes – true failure is never trying. Keep moving forward and don’t let mistakes stop you.  A clock because there is a time and place for everything. And lastly, a string to tie things together but also to serve as an important reminder of these lessons.”