Schools

Rex Cottone, President, HMHS Class of 2023

Just over a year ago, I stepped into Mrs. McHale’s office on a Friday afternoon, and Mr Romea shook my hand and said “Congratulations on your election, Mr. President.” I turned to Mrs. McHale, and her first words were, “Better start planning your graduation speech!” So, I have spent the last 11 months and three weeks doing exactly that.

I was so overwhelmed – there have been so many great graduation speeches in the history of Haddonfield to draw inspiration from, yet I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how I could show the world how outstanding my classmates have been. After hours and hours of researching and working, I realized that nobody should ever again have to go through the stress of what to include in their graduation speech. So without further ado, I’d like to introduce Rex Cottone’s Semi-Official Guide to the Graduation Speech.

Step 1: The introduction. Often done by way of expressing thanks, the introduction is meant to acknowledge everything and everyone that made this happen, that got us here. For example: thank you to all the staff and custodians who helped set up this event and are taking care of the 50,000 people here tonight. Your great work never goes unnoticed, and we are all incredibly grateful for you keeping our home looking flawless for the last four years. Next, to the parents, guardians, family members, and friends, thank you very much for coming and supporting not just your child but all of us. I know you’re excited about the pictures later, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. Last, thank you to all the teachers and administrators who organized this and did everything they could to get us walking across this stage tonight. Thank you to Mrs. McHale for showing me how to navigate being a leader. Thank you to Coach Q and Mr. Dortone for being my mentors in my one and only year of student council this year. And of course, on the topic of mentors, thank you to the teachers who taught me just as much about becoming an adult as they did about the curriculum. I wouldn’t be here without the ones who taught me not just the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus but also how to live a life that truly is beautiful.

Step 2: Accomplishments. Sometimes read as a list, the accomplishments are meant to highlight how our class has contributed to the history of our high school. But what is history? According to Ryan Gosling’s character in the movie Half Nelson, history is change. It is two opposing forces struggling back and forth until one comes out on top, thereby causing a turning point. Somebody better check on Mr. Scors and make sure his socks are still on. In the last four years, the class of 2023 has faced many opposing forces, but we have continued to be resilient. We never run from the grind – when we want something, we take a good look around the room and say “Let’s ride.” And we get it done. We wanted to win spirit week. We came closer to sweeping the entire week than any class in history. We wanted sectional championships.  We got 10 of them. We wanted to be on this stage. (dramatic pause). Here we are. We face opponents, we come out on top, and we cause turning points. Turning points in our lives. Turning points in the lives of our peers. Turning points in the history of our school. This school did not just change us, we changed this school. That’s the only accomplishment I need to list.

Step 3: The future. Used to conclude the speech, often with some sort of quote or popular media reference, the future section is meant to bring forth confidence in all of the graduates and show them that they are ready for whatever they may face. Since Jack O’Donnell used Baby Keem lyrics in his speech last year, I had to find a new artist and a new quote. After weeks of searching, I landed on Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, Founder of Young Money Entertainment, who once said, and I quote, “Real G’s move in silence, like lasagna.” Most of you probably know him as Lil Wayne, but Dwayne Michael Carter Jr sounded way cooler. What does it mean to move in silence? Some may think that to move in silence is to avoid all attention, to live a life of stealth, and eventually to be forgotten. However, moving in silence is more about why you move than how you move. Real G’s like ourselves do what we do not for the approval or satisfaction of others. We do not move to change the world in return for attention or praise or money. We move because we love it, and because we want it. The class of 2023 is proud to have over 200 students going to the colleges that we want to attend, not the ones others think we should. We’ll study what we want to study, not what others think we should. We do what we do because we love it. We have a passion for changing the world like no one else you’ll ever meet, and we are proud of it. We are the realest G’s, and among all the noise we have faced and will face, we move in silence. Like lasagna.

Over the last four years, the class of 2023 has had every reason to give up. We faced great stress, great loss, and great change. Our school culture lost so much heart and spirit. Our teachers and administrators told me in September that they were looking to our senior class to return the soul of Haddonfield Memorial High School that they felt was missing. They said the school might never be the same if we couldn’t bring back its vibrancy and spirit. Everyone wondered what would happen if we couldn’t live up to these standards. Everybody wanted to know what would happen if the class of 2023 couldn’t be one of the most outstanding classes in the history of Haddonfield.

I guess we’ll never know.

Charlie Webb, HMHS Class of 2023

Welcome to the graduation of the class of 2023. On behalf of the class, I would like to thank all the people who have made today possible.

Thank you to all the incredible teachers who have done an amazing job guiding and educating the class of 2023.

Thank you to the administrators who have allowed every student to thrive – even during the pandemic that shall not be named. Especially Mrs. McHale; I’m sure our parents would agree how difficult it is to deal with 219 seniors every day, and you do an excellent job. Thank you to my friends who always keep things interesting.

Thank you to all parents and guardians for your unwavering support from day one, we wouldn’t be here without you.

And finally, I personally want to thank my constant companion in the Haddonfield school system, number 2300239. Since elementary school, my student ID has logged me into my email, the lunch line, the library, the big dusty computers in the Tatem computer lab, and many other places in the district. Now here at graduation I will depart from it. It’s also my lifelong social media password, so I should probably change some of those passwords too. I remember the first time I learned that the 23 at the start of that code represented my graduation year. At the time, I couldn’t even count that many years away on my fingers, and now, today, along with all my other fellow 23-ID-number friends we will graduate.

Thank you to the class of twenty twenty three for the most memorable four years of high school. These are years that I will never forget for, well, mostly good reasons.

Now, as I reflect on our high school experience, I immediately think of the Bancroft parking lot, the big gravel lot, which has recently been infested by a dangerous species, high school drivers. One of the most prominent features of the Bancroft lot is the iconic gravel, which you might not know is more than a little bumpy. Well, the class of 2023 has also had to get over its fair share of humps. But throughout all the bumps, this class has proved that we are able to battle adversity and support one another to make every situation a positive one. Just like when you’re on a delayed JetBlue flight to Disney and your friends encourage you to use the bathroom when the flight attendants told you not to. Sometimes we hit bumps at 7:55 on those crazy mornings where the spots in the Bancroft lot are highly contested, but every morning we make room for one another to create ridiculous parking spots. Our class is always willing to make adjustments to help each other out, and we also owe Mrs. Abbate, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Murphy, and Mrs. Russell, for always having our backs by buzzing us into school and giving us late passes.

Sometimes, whether you’re in a ridiculous parking spot or not, accidents happen in the Bancroft lot. Accidents as we know, come in all different shapes and sizes. Sometimes all it takes is a piece of band chocolate from a friend or a pretzel on pretzel Thursday to cheer you up, and other times, accidents are a little bigger, like passing out at the blood drive or hitting multiple cars in the parking lot at once. Despite having had a few accidents throughout these four years, we have been able to learn and grow from them to accomplish incredible things. Like, the wrestling team and the boy’s lacrosse team winning their first sectional championship in both their programs histories, both boys and girls swimming who earned the state title every year, the very talented girls lacrosse team who also brought home multiple state championships, and the list goes on for this very athletic group. This grade has also thrived on stage with, drama awards for Cinderella and Head Over Heels, vocal performance awards for Madrigal singers, and instrumental awards for talented musicians. Maybe in the future we’ll learn to watch out for each other’s cars a little bit better, but hey, they’re called accidents for a reason.

The Bancroft parking lot is filled with many different cars, each unique in their own way. As I look around at all my classmates tonight, it is clear that we are a collection of unique individuals. Some cars like to rev their engines a lot, others like to stay a little quieter, some cars are decked out in bumper stickers proudly representing their beliefs, others prefer to keep their beliefs to themselves, some cars are a bright color that stand out in a crowd, others like to blend in; however, the beauty of the lot is that throughout the past year and a half a community has been built in that beautiful, dusty location.

And that’s the best part of our grade, no matter where we are; in every class, during sports, on the stage, or anywhere outside of school, the sense of community built by this class can be seen. This class has not defined itself by their plans for after graduation, but by our character and bonds created throughout our four years at HMHS. And also of course our ability to make a great parking lot. This grade has become a family that is able to support one another to prosper in all areas, while also having fun. And yes, we can have fun without breaking any bathrooms. Like Mr. Tarrant once said, “once a dawg, always a dawg,” and I couldn’t be prouder to call myself a part of the HMHS class of 2023 for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to see the incredible things you all accomplish. It has been a pleasure spending these past years with all of you, there aren’t many other grades I would be willing to run for class president four times and lose Every. Single. Time. I can’t express how much I’ll miss saying hello to all of you in the halls or honking my horn in the parking lot.

So for now, 2300239 out.

Ian Talty, HMHS Class of 2023

I would like to start off by thanking our previous speakers: Charlie and Rex, and echoing their sentiments in thanking all of you for being here to honor the class of 2023, along with thanking the people that made this ceremony possible: the administration, the teachers, the janitorial staff, the families, and of course, the students themselves. 

That being said, I would like to pose a question to all of you: What is the greatest movie of all time? How do we decide what makes one movie greater than another? Well we can go by what the “experts” say. According to IMDb it’s The Shawshank Redemption. According to Variety it’s Psycho. According to Business Insider it’s The Godfather. And if you would have asked my grandfather he might have said it was Animal House. Likely, everybody here would choose a different film for a different reason. Me, I wouldn’t even know where to start. I’m certainly no cinephile, so I guess I might start by asking myself what makes a great movie? There’s the plot, the music, the cast, the cinematography, all of the tangible things that go into the creation of a movie. All of the things that result in awards and critical acclaim. But when asked to come up with the greatest movie of all time, we think of more than the tangible elements. We judge a film by how it makes us feel. By the thousands of little moments that occur off camera and create an experience that resonates. And so in this way, while judging a movie may involve judging its tangible quality, it also inherently involves evaluating the intangibles as well.

When I started writing this speech, I was confronted by the question of what to talk about. After all, as you heard from Rex, this class has accomplished so much in the last four years. But that’s when I realized that maybe I shouldn’t be focusing on the last four years. Instead, maybe I should focus on the next four and beyond. The future can be a scary thing, and rightfully so. I want to evaluate our time in high school like the great movie that it was and highlight the intangibles that will guide us and just might make the future a little less scary. 

The intangibles of our class are everything that happens behind the scenes, unnoticed by comparison to our tangible accomplishments. Just like the numerous, almost unnoticeable things that connect a movie with its audience, the small, intangible details about our class, unknown to anybody not sitting in these seats with me, are what really makes this class so special. 

It’s all the hard work that goes into making every accomplishment possible. While that work ethic and perseverance may not necessarily be tangible and observable, it is an invaluable part of our class’s character. The countless practices, sometimes battling the elements of weather and physical fatigue. The hours spent in the band room or the theater preparing for a performance. The time dedicated to completing a work of art or to planning a school event. The accomplishments of our class will not be carried into the future with us, but the work ethic and perseverance responsible for these accomplishments will. 

What also goes unseen is the support we give to each other. Whether it’s helping a classmate with homework or giving someone a ride to school. The constant support from those around us, those dealing with the same issues and the same stress as us is of the utmost importance. Being able to communicate with your peers and form a strong support system is a vital skill, and while the support system that we, the class of 2023, formed together may not always literally be with us in the future, we all have gained the ability to support those around us and find people to support us wherever we go. 

Failure and mistakes also often go without notice. When we look at our tangible accomplishments as a class, the casual observer will not see the failures and missteps that served as the building blocks to our success. Every member of the class of 2023 has failed at some point during their high school career. But while failure may be inevitable, in a class like this one, so is bouncing back. As we move into the future, we will all continue to fail and to make mistakes along the way. But dealing with failure and pushing forward, not in spite of our mistakes but because of them, is something we all have learned how to do together as a class. 

Failure may be one of those intangible things that goes without notice, but so is celebration. Whether we’re celebrating each other, or the teachers who give so much time and effort to helping us grow and develop, what goes on behind the scenes is nothing short of amazing. Celebration may seem like an odd intangible quality to carry into the future. But wherever we end up, it’s necessary that we remember to stop every once in a while and take a minute to be appreciative, and yes even celebratory, of ourselves and what we have accomplished in addition to those around us. 

Andy Rooney once said, “Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain. But all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it”. While the tangible accomplishments may be what this class is remembered most for, I believe the intangibles also define us. And while our goals will always be there, calling down to us from the top of the mountain, the intangibles define our journey up the mountain, and in reality, the process of climbing is more important than reaching the top. So as the HMHS Class of 2023 sits here today, finally atop the mountain that is high school, we are now all facing the much larger and more ominous peak that is our future. What’s different now is that sadly we won’t always be climbing together. But while we may not be together per se, we will have all the intangible qualities that define us as a class. Our work ethic and our perseverance will push us up the mountain. We’ll meet people along the way and find support for ourselves to make the climb easier. We’ll fail, time and time again, and make countless mistakes, but just as often, we’ll pick ourselves back up, keep pushing, and continuously celebrate and appreciate the progress we’re making. The future is daunting, and what lies ahead certainly will not be easy. But the one thing I know is that if I had to pick one group of people to climb this mountain, one group who I was confident could conquer the challenges ahead, I would choose the greatest class to ever walk through those halls, the HMHS Class of 2023.

Thank you.  

Chuck Klaus, Superintendent of Schools

Greetings!

The first and most exciting aspect of the summer of 2022 was how different it has been from the last two! In the summers of ’20 and ’21, there was a singular focus; almost all of our energy went into planning and developing schedules and systems to deal with COVID. We continued to push forward with our work as educators, but that overwhelming cloud drove decision-making and consumed much time and effort.

This summer has been very different.

The administrative team developed a new format for summer leadership work. The core team attended the AASA conference in Washington, D.C., followed by a more expansive two-day retreat. The conference was excellent! The most significant advantage of the model for this retreat was gaining access to nationally renowned experts in different areas.

One afternoon was spent with Dr. Shelley Berman, who helped us to re-examine our approach to social-emotional learning. We also spent time with Dr. Anthony (A.J.) Nottingham, who helped us to focus on leadership styles and growth. These discussions helped us to stop and think about who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.

Upon our return, we met every Wednesday afternoon throughout the summer to address specific topics and to collaborate. Breaking up our work sessions into several shorter meetings has been more productive and has made better use of our time.

There’s been a significant amount of curriculum work done over the summer. Teachers have been writing and revising curricula that will eventually be submitted for Board approval.

The three areas that have stood out with greater focus are math, ELA, and PE/Health.

• Math: For K to 5, the team is starting the research and planning for a pilot that will be put in place next year. The 6-12 training has been arranged with Desmos and Dr. Eric Milou from Rowan University. The training will focus on instructional methods (rather than simply on the programs) and will benefit students immensely.
• English Language Arts (ELA) work is in an organizational phase. We will be soliciting community input during the school year.
• Health and PE teachers have been working diligently on an updated curriculum. Parents may review the state standards, current curricular maps, and DRAFTS of updates on the Health and PE Curriculum Development website.

Another significant summer project has been preparing for the upcoming bond referendum. Board Secretary Michael Catalano and I have met with LAN Associates and have closed out the survey that was sent to all members of the school district family and to the community at large. Once the survey data is fully analyzed, we will start to plan charrettes to discuss specific needs, suggestions and concerns. Some of the questions raised in the survey are:

• Hopkins parcel: How to use this land and how to deal with the historic building?
• Elementary schools: Can we separate eating and physical education spaces?
• High School: How to create a new secure vestibule?
• General: How can we improve our learning spaces?
• Athletics: How to increase/improve our athletic fields?

Here is a link to survey data.

Here is a link to the LRFP (Long-Range Facilities Plan) website.

Our Buildings and Grounds crew has been busy as well. In addition to cleaning and servicing of all of the mechanical equipment in the entire district, our in-house staff replaced aging carpeting with VCT flooring in several locations. Their biggest summer project involved the student/staff paint crew. Two teachers and six students painted all of the hallways in HMHS and Lizzy Haddon! They also painted several classrooms, kitchens and offices throughout the district.

Most recently, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Gino Priolo and World Language teacher Chris Gwin redesigned our new teacher orientation, making it more interactive and adding more time for building-based work with administration and mentors. We enjoyed getting to know these newest members of our school district community August 29, 30 and 31!

Friends, I look forward to seeing many of you during the first week of school, September 6-9. Let’s make it a great school year!

Chuck Klaus, Superintendent of Schools

It certainly gives me great pleasure to welcome graduates, family, friends, staff, and Board of Education members to the commencement ceremonies of the Haddonfield Memorial High School Class of 2022.

Commencement is a unique event for many reasons. One of the more intriguing aspects of tonight is that the 229 individuals behind me are experiencing an unusual moment when the past, present, and future intersect in a significantly poignant meeting. Tonight is the culmination of a 13-year journey through education. Tonight, students and families will be thinking about the first day of kindergarten, the first day of high school, all the joys and some of the sorrow that happened over the journey.

This leads to the present: the journey is what we are here to celebrate. Celebrating the present is essential. It is the celebration of the moment. The students, families, friends, and teachers deserve this time of joy.

Yet, this is a Commencement ceremony because it is about the beginning. Tonight is about the future. It is about where these students will go, and more importantly, where they will take us. So as we experience tonight’s ceremony, we should remember that this is about the past, present, and future; one of the few times in life when all three are equally significant. Each class has faced unique circumstances and challenges as they move through their educational careers. Indeed, this class can make that claim as well as any.

The class of 2022 started high school in a pre-COVID world filled with promise, joy, and excitement for the high school experience. They were then met with the most bizarre and unexpected shift as schools were shut down, followed by partial openings and masks. Finally, this class ended their career much as they started school. They are the only class to make that full circle; it is important to note that they did it well.

Throughout their careers, the Class of 2022 displayed perseverance, character, and optimism. The class is proud of their commitment to being who they are as well as the commitment to push forward in trying times. This is the past we celebrate tonight. These characteristics both strengthen these students as they move forward and give us all a reason to hope.

Knowing the students’ attitudes, dreams, and visions, we all have good reasons for hope. The Class of 2022 is dedicated to doing what is right and to making a better world. They have demonstrated over the past four years that they are more than willing and able to make it happen. They use persistence and drive to overcome despair and embed their world with hope.

The Class of 2022 represents scholarship and success in the classroom that would rival any. Here is a snapshot of their ACADEMIC achievement:

• 104 members in the National Honor Society
• 98 Neumuller Scholars who achieved an A+ weighted GPA over four years
• 12 Commended National Merit Scholars
• 1 National Merit Semi-Finalist
• 1 National Merit Finalist
• 1 National Merit Scholarship Recipient
• 45 Seniors earned the distinguished New Jersey Seal of Bi-Literacy
• Seniors participated in 527 AP Exams
• 96.9% are going to four-year schools in the fall
• 1.8% will attend two-year schools.
• On June 2, at the Senior Awards Ceremony, the class was awarded $330,000 in scholarships. After four years of renewable awards, the total will be over $600,000. In addition, the Class of 2022 earned $1,500,000 in outside scholarship funds for a total of over $2.1 million.
• HMHS school rankings
  • State ranked #31
  • Nationally ranked #708
  • #249 STEM School

There is no doubt a class as focused, dedicated, and driven as this one will venture off into the world and become leaders in academia, medicine, environmental sciences, law, and social reform.

Academics alone are not enough. Growth and change result from combining knowledge with creativity to rethink issues and find solutions. The Class of 2022 is teeming with creative minds. As a result, over the past four years, the ARTS at HMHS have thrived.

We have all seen the magnificent Drama Club productions. I can say that because the auditorium is always packed. This year, the Drama Club performed the first full-length, live fall play since 2019, “The Book of Everything,” which saw our highest fall play attendance ever. And that was just the beginning. The spring musical “Cinderella” also claimed the highest attendance for a musical ever, including multiple sold-out shows. It was honored by Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards with seven nominations, four honorable mentions, and one win. We also enjoyed “Bulldawgs on Broadway” back for the first time since 2019.

The Marching Band impressed as we exited a world of restriction and limiting factors. You may have heard the band leading our community’s favorite Halloween characters during the Halloween parade, not to mention the town’s tree-lighting ceremony, where the band led Santa to one of his favorite posts – Kings Court. They also marched in the Haddon Township Pride Parade and Cherry Hill’s Juneteenth celebration. The 2021-22 Marching Band placed fourth in our region and in the state of New Jersey. Also noteworthy, the Battery Percussion won high percussion at the N.J. state competition for the first time in HMHS history.

The Madrigals continued their standard for excellent performances throughout the school year in various settings. They were awarded the prizes at multiple faires for their stellar arrangements of selected pieces.

The National Art Honor Society continues to make an impact. Beyond hundreds of hours of community service, seniors displayed remarkable painting ability this school year which is evident in a new mural representing those who have given their lives fighting for diversity and justice titled “Memorial.”

We know this class is talented in the classroom and has proven themselves to be creative thinkers. A third attribute they have demonstrated is DRIVE. If there is any doubt about the nature of their drive to succeed and their competitive spirit, all one must do is review their successes in the areas of ATHLETICS.

Haddonfield Memorial High School had tremendous athletic accomplishments during the past four years despite many lost post-seasons due to the pandemic. In four years, our teams compiled:

• a record of 1,005 wins and 307 losses: a 77% winning percentage
• 43 conference titles
• 33 sectional titles
• 18 New Jersey State Group championships

This is among the best, if not THE best, record of championships of any other high school in the state of New Jersey.

During the 2021-2022 school year, our teams won:

• 9 conference titles
• 11 sectional titles
• 5 varsity teams finished their season as State Group champions. For the 40th year in a row, HMHS will receive the Colonial Conference All-Sports Award.
• For the 17th straight year, HMHS will be declared the winner of the NJSIAA Shop Rite Cup for Group II, an award given to the school with the most sectional and state championships for each of the six groups in the state. HMHS is the only school in New Jersey that has won this award every year since the award’s inception!

HMHS Class of 2022, I want to congratulate and thank you for your dedication and your numerous and varied contributions. Please understand that my words are offered in earnest as I speak about you and what you have accomplished. As I think about all you have done, the circumstances you faced, and the grace with which you achieved your goals, I can not help but be moved. I genuinely believe that you bring hope. Your demonstration of promise, perseverance, and character assures me that, as we go forward, the Class of 2022 will touch all areas of our world. I thank you for that as a superintendent, educator, and person.

Since you are kind enough to give me hope, I want to share what I hope for you.

I borrow words from F. Scott Fitzgerald:

“It’s never too late, or in your case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. You can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.”

Haddonfield Memorial High School Class of 2022, congratulations!

Jack O’Donnell, HMHS Class of 2022 Salutatorian

Good evening, administrators, faculty, family, friends, and my fellow classmates. It is my honor to speak to all of you as the salutatorian of the class of 2022.

My first reaction upon finding out last Friday that I would be giving a speech at graduation was, “I’m glad I took Public Speaking last fall!” My next thought was, “How should I go about writing my last assignment of high school?” I decided to use a couple of problem-solving techniques: 1 – Break it up into smaller parts, so I’ll address the different groups here tonight. 2 – Seek advice from experts. I love listening to music, so I’ve taken inspiration from several famous songwriters.

Then I started to think about teacher songs … Teach Me How to Dougie? Not the right type of teaching. That Van Halen teacher song? Definitely not. Then I remembered that Jimmy Fallon wrote the perfect teacher song during the pandemic. Teachers shouldn’t have to pay their taxes/ They should get cheered around the clock / At the bank they should throw money at them / And at Chipotle they should always get free guac. To our teachers, all of them, from preschool through high school, thank you for not just all of the knowledge you’ve taught us, but also for connecting with us, understanding us, and believing in us. You deserve way more than just free guac for all that you’ve given us.

Next, our families – brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends who are family. Josh Groban sang it perfectly: You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains/ You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas/ I am strong, when I am on your shoulders/ You raise me up to more than I can be. You’ve made us who we are. Thank you for the support, motivation, encouragement and love.

To our parents – the previous song certainly applies to you. I couldn’t actually find another song good enough for your unconditional love and support these last 18 years, at every game, every show, and every day. So my own simple words will have to do. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Now finally, to the Class of 2022! We’re pretty special so I chose two songs for us. As the world-renowned and Grammy winning artist, Baby Keem, eloquently rapped: First order of business, dawg, I gotta thank my mama. It’s important for all of us to be grateful for not only our mamas, but our entire families! We wouldn’t be sitting here today without them. Let’s always remember where we came from.

Second order of business, share the blessings, no more trauma. We’ve all had hardships that we’ve had to face: a broken foot, COVID, other serious challenges. We got through those to be here. Let’s stay strong and positive to deal with whatever comes in the future.

Third order of business, do good deeds and get good karma. As Baby Keem said, I think it’s important to leave the world a better place than how we found it, and I believe that the Class of 2022 has that capability.

I’ll leave you with my other song for us, Until the Next Time by the American Celtic punk band out of Boston, Dropkick Murphys. We’ll meet again/ Don’t know where, don’t know when I We all had a good time I And we’re sad to see it end/ Good luck be with you I You go your way, I’ll go mine/ So until the next time/ It’s farewell and not good-bye.

On that note, let’s finish strong. Welcome, all, to the graduation of the great HMHS Class of 2022. Have a fantastic evening. Thank you.

Cleo Hamilton, HMHS Class of 2022 Valedictorian

Good evening everyone.

Choosing what to talk about today was a rocky process. Luckily, I got suggestions from my classmates! I want to talk about some of those suggestions and what they reveal about the HMHS Class of 2022.

First up, we’ve got the suggestion that I sing it. I like the challenge, but I think we’re all better off if I leave it to the music department to serenade us today. I’m no Madrigal after all. Singing this speech is a daring idea, and representative of our class’s creativity, talent, and readiness to take risks. Our class is made up of people willing to walk onto the stage to perform in Cinderella, or stand in front of the class to give a Dawg talk, or endeavor to set athletic records. We show our boldness with the causes we support and when we work for change.

This next suggestion probably wouldn’t have made it through Ms. McHale’s plagiarism radar. One classmate joked that I should deliver the entire High School Musical graduation speech, word for word. Lighthearted suggestions like this one show that we have grace and humor as we set out to take on society’s serious problems.

I think this throwback to High School Musical also reminds us of our shared K through 12 cultural history. We may not have everything in common, but a lot of us watched High School Musical, Stranger Things, or Avatar the Last Airbender. We played flappy bird, clash of clans, and Minecraft. We listened to Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X, Pitbull, and what seemed like the exact same DJ playlists at dances from rec hall to prom. Are there any party rockers in the house tonight? I SAID, are there any party rockers in the house tonight?

Love to hear it!

My physics class didn’t exactly give suggestions, but they did want a shoutout. I think the dynamics of my physics class represents what a class at HMHS can be. Each year we nervously entered class – wondering who we’d be with, whether we could keep up, and whether we’d make embarrassing mistakes. But by the end of the year, each class had its own camaraderie and inside jokes, with everyone working together to learn, and watching those mistakes we were afraid to make turn into some of the best and funniest academic experiences. So thank you Period 6 Physics for being a great class and showing what HMHS classes are all about!

A few classmates suggested that I talk about how our class made it through COVID, and how it brought us together. We learned to be more grateful for each other and for in-person learning. I don’t think I was ever as excited for the first day of school as I was last fall, even though it meant waking up early and changing out of my pajamas. How our class made it through COVID also demonstrated our serious side. We faced challenges and did our best to keep going together.

The speech suggestion that would have gotten us all out of here at record speed was to just yell “Go Class of 2022!” and then walk off stage. I like the brevity here, but I love the sentiment. It says, “I’m rooting for you! Your friends, family, and teachers are supporting and cheering for you! We can be optimistic about our future!”

I learned from all my classmates’ suggestions that the Class of 2022 is daring, lighthearted, helpful, generous, goofy, thoughtful, supportive, collaborative, and grateful.

Having received all these ideas demonstrates that no project or challenge is completed alone. We need to assemble our all-star team and work together. Through spirit week, with our extracurriculars, in our classrooms, or even just on Facetime working together, we have learned to collaborate.

Because a valedictory speech is about both who we are AND saying goodbye, I want to reflect on saying goodbye. We’ve said goodbye to a lot of things already: musically, middle school fashion, and braces. Some of these things we’ve been glad to say goodbye to. Other goodbyes have been harder: recess, Halloween parades, and talent shows.

Saying goodbye to HMHS marks a big moment in our lives so far, and as someone who cried at the end of soccer season, I know our goodbyes will be hard. But we don’t have to leave it all behind. Whatever was your favorite part of high school, whatever was the best part of who you were at HMHS, that’s something to hold on to. Hold on to your memories, your passions, your favorite things, your friends and your families.

As we say goodbye, we’re also saying hello to exciting new things: new jobs, new problems to solve, new opportunities, new schools and studies, new places to see around the world, or even just new freedom.

I want this speech to end with everyone’s participation – my graduating classmates AND all our friends and families in the stands who have helped us get here. I want you all to think of your own way of saying goodbye – any way you want – in the language you studied, with a wave or a peace sign – any words or gestures you choose. I’m going to count to three, then everybody shout it out. 

1, 2, 3 … Go class of 2022!

Lily Cheatham, HMHS Class of 2022 President

Good evening everyone! My name is Lily Cheatham, the senior class president for the graduation class of 2022 and it is my honor to be delivering this speech to you all tonight. 

I have been thinking about what I was going to say in this speech for the past few months. Reflecting back and recalling all of the wonderful memories we have created together as a class. We’ve truly been through so much together, we’ve laughed together, cried together, rejoiced together and even sung together (if any of you can recall our interesting rendition of the short musical Band Stand in middle school with Mrs. Murray). 

Through all of the craziness we have experienced in these past four years at HMHS, we’ve stuck together. Powering through two pandemics: COVID-19, and of course, the outbreak of senioritis that began its pervasive spread throughout our class as early as sophomore year. We have remained resilient to whatever challenges have come our way, and despite the numerous quarantines and school shut downs we’ve still dealt with these hardships together, or sometimes just maybe 5 or 6 feet apart.

It should be acknowledged, however, that our togetherness as a class began far earlier than freshman year. In fact I would argue our togetherness was apparent as early as 6th grade; the first year we attended school with one another having graduated from our respective elementary schools (which might I add, many of us still use as identifying factors for the different friend groups that have been created over the years today). Anyways, it’s true that I can remember quite clearly in the early days of 6th grade when we would all walk out to the left side of the train tracks each day, without fail, and we would make a circle in which Will Cody would run into the center of and do a back flip. It was honestly incredible. We would go crazy, running inwards and collapsing the circle so it was now one big mosh pit of 6th graders cheering and celebrating this great feat. 

However, our moments of togetherness weren’t always this positive. It was in 7th grade Mrs. Walters homeroom that together we mourned the death of our cherished class pet, George the frog. In memory of George the frog, my classmates and I in Walter’s homeroom decided to be named the “RIP George’s” for the middle school volleyball tournament. And so, even though the RIP George’s were the complete underdogs of the tournament that year, we powered through only to lose in the championship against Rider’s homeroom. Though honestly, the fact that we won any games at all that day was considered celebratory for the RIP George’s.

Flash forward a couple years and I witnessed our togetherness only strengthen as I assumed my role as class president during our sophomore year at HMHS. Let me tell you, that sophomore year Spirit Week was probably one of the best yet most stressful weeks of my entire life. A quick thank you to many parents, especially my own, who willingly dropped everything to make spontaneous runs to Michaels and Home Depot for things like “35 large unfolded cardboard boxes” and “15 packs of fake cobwebs.” Without your help I don’t think we would have been able to put together the masterpiece that was our Stranger things themed hallway. And another big thank you to Jack and the Rippers for performing themed music in every single Spirit Week hallway from freshman year to now. I would never have thought that Kiss Me More by Doja Cat rewritten into a 1920s-themed beat would work, but you guys definitely proved me wrong and I couldn’t thank you enough for putting that together this year. 

The willingness of so many people in our class to sit freezing in that unheated garage for two months every day after school and unintentionally inhale copious amounts of spray paint was not only shocking but extremely admirable. I feel so grateful to be surrounded by people who demonstrate such great reliability and adaptability to change.

In fact, I would definitely argue that adaptability has to be the most prominent trait of this graduating class. Whether it be dealing with the school schedule which seemed to change on a daily basis, or having our junior prom at an airport, our class was constantly confronted with change and I truthfully feel that we managed these confrontations with grace. It is my greatest hope for everyone here that you maintain that adaptability and flexibility moving forward in your lives, because people always say “you never know what could happen in a year’s time” and honestly if you had said that to me that before entering high school I’d probably be like, “yeah okay sure but how much can really change in 365 days?” 

And well, the answer to that question really came to me as I sat in my room, April of 2020, drinking my terrible cloud coffee, watching Tiger King during “chemistry class.” A lot. A lot can change in 365 days, so all I can say about that is be prepared. Be prepared for the worst, and the best, and everything in between because you really never know what could happen during such “unprecedented times.” And sometimes two weeks is not just two weeks, so I guess try and be prepared for that too. 

I am so proud of everyone in this graduating class and I only wish the best for everyone moving forward. I am humbled to have grown up alongside you all, and I can’t wait to hear about all the incredible things you all accomplish going into this next chapter of our lives, so with that, HMHS Class of 2022: Congratulations, we did it!