Graduation for the Grade 8 students at St. Boniface School took place on Tuesday, June 28th beginning with Mass at 6 p.m. Serving the Mass for Father Ron Voisin were students Kristen Busse, Ally Pooran, Owen Brown and Jacob Goj.
The graduates sat as a class in the two front pews of the church while families and friends sat in the remaining seats. The staff sat as a group as well, behind the graduates.
Gabriel Rebelo and Miranda Harris gave the readings, with Bella Egredzija giving the Responsorial Psalm.
Matthew Thaler, Laura Patron, Patrick Haley and Pedro Parronchi gave the petitions.
Gift Bearers were Lucas Huber, Seth Doerr and Skye Jones.
The closing thank you’s were given by Simon Huber.
While each person in the church was shaking hands with their neighbours during the “peace”, the students presented their mothers with a single white long-stemmed rose.
Each table had a white table cloth with a black cloth overlapping and black napkins and congratulations confetti. Students could take home the vase which contained a yellow Gerber daisy. There were also gold centerpieces.
Each graduates name was on a place card. Each student was allowed 10 guests and at their table was a special laminated placemat with a collage of pictures of this particular student throughout their school days.
On the walls hung laminated silhouettes with positive remarks from their fellow classmates to them. The student’s art work was along all the walls – symmetry art radial design, product label art and 3 dimension numbers and several various types of art work that each student had made during the year. On all the walls were collages of all 12 students of their years at St. Boniface.
Grade 7 / 8 teacher Henry Bink welcomed the many parents and family to this very special occasion.
Bella Egredzija and Simon Huber gave the valedictorian address. They reminisced about their years spent at St. Boniface and the teachers along the way. They recognised each staff members this year at St. Boniface, custodian, librarian technician, lunch hour supervisors, etc. and how they had all impacted their lives.
The male athlete award was presented to Pedro Parronchi while Martina Olszewski received the female athlete award.
The spirit award was presented to Patrick Haley as well as the personal effort and achievement award and the overall academic proficiency award.
Miranda Harris was awarded the personal effort awards, the personal achievement award was given to Skye Jones.
The Christian Living award (in memory of Mary Schulde) was presented to Gabe Rebelo. Matthew Thaler received the citizenship award (in memory of Robin Williams), and Laura Patron and Simon Huber received the Leadership Award.
The French Award was given to Miranda Harris.
Four years ago the Waterloo Region Catholic School Foundation introduced an Award of Distinction and this was awarded to Pedro Parronchi.
New this year is the history award which was presented by Historical Society of St. Boniface and Maryhill Community president Tom Schell to Seth Doerr.
The South Woolwich Optimist Club Youth Appreciation award was presented again to Martina Olszewski and Matthew Thaler who had received it previously at the June Optimist meeting in Bloomingdale at the Bloomingdale Recreation Centre.
In 2014 the Waterloo Catholic School Board initiated the Rex Barger Residential Retreat Recognition Award and this year was presented to Lucas Huber.
Principal Jo Ann Geisler and Grade 7 / 8 teacher Henry Bink presented the Grade 8 graduation certificates along with a composite picture of the class all in a beautiful leather folder. School council paid for those gifts and also a CD of the slide show to each of the students.
A beautiful slide show took place, with pictures of the students from birth up to and including Grade 8. This brought much laughter in the gym.
Special thank you to mom Vanessa Patron who donated and put together a special container with each student`s name and picture on it . This held the CD with the slide show and some goodies inside.
The 2016 graduates were Seth Doerr, Bella Egredzija, Patrick Haley, Miranda Harris, Lucas Huber, Simon Huber, Skye Jones, Martina Olszewski, Pedro Parronchi, Laura Patron, Gabriel Rebelo, and Matthew Thaler.
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L-R – Pedro Parronchi, Matthew Thaler, Gabriel Rebelo, Patrick Haley, Skye Jones, Martina Olszewski, Bella Egredzija, Laura Patron, Lucas Huber, Miranda Harris, Simon Huber, Seth Doerr, Grade 7 / 8 teacher Henry Bink; photo by Franca Haley
