Northport Elementary School's graduating class of 2019.

Hub Staff

With summer-like weather all day June 24, a Hawaiian theme seemed fitting as family and friends gathered to celebrate Northport Elementary School's 43 graduating Grade 8 students.

Northport Principal Suzanne Kennedy welcomed everyone to the celebration. “Tonight we celebrate transition and change,” she said. “This group...has finished 10 years of elementary education and is preparing for the next chapter in their lives; secondary school," said Kennedy.

“When they started school all those years ago no one had any idea that they would be the last Grade 8 group to graduate from Northport Elementary, at least for the next few years,” she said, referring to the relocation of the Grade 7 and 8 students to the newly named Saugeen District Senior School for the 2019-20 school year.

Valedictorians Clara Howe and Lucas Noe, having both been at Northport since Kindergarten, spoke about their memories at the school. “All of these experiences have shaped us as students and as people,” said Howe. “No matter what happens in the future we'll always remember where we came from, who helped us get there and we'll always be grateful.”

After the awards were presented, a memory slide show presentation was shown featuring images of the students from infancy to their current selves before Vice Principal Wendy Cumming gave the ceremony's closing remarks. “Our motto here is, 'Progressing with pride to be the best that we can be' and as I look at you all, this is shining through,” she said.

Awards were granted as follows:
French Award – Sara Etedali-Zadeh
Geography Award – Abhi Shankar
History Award – Clara Howe
Literary Award – Emily Little
Visual Arts Award – Eshal Shahid
Mathematics Award – Adam Perry
Music Award – Britain Marshall
The Squires Memorial Music Award – Carson McNeice
Friendship Award – Michael McCarthy
Inspiring Possibilities – Kayla Atkinson
Physical and Health Education Award – Olivia Redmond and Wyatt McNabb
Science Awards – Angela Williams and Patrick McLaren
OPC Leadership Awards – Clara Howe and Lucas Noe
Most Improved Student – Wyatt MacLean
Academic Excellence Award – Angela Williams
Northport Award of Excellence – Clara Howe
Service Above Self – Ella Marshall
CUPE Award – Serenity Elijah
Grandfather Teaching–Truth Award - Serenity Elijah
Valedictorian Awards – Clara Howe and Lucas Noe

Congratulations to all graduates:
Kayla Atkinson
Owen Burkhart
Hunter Campbell
Serenity Elijah
Nicholas Embro
Sara Etedali-Zadeh
Madison Fehr
Charlie Gallop
Andrew Grant
Benjamin Grant
Jack Harvey
Clara Howe
Zarak Khan
Chloe Lalonde
Trystan Lesperance
Emily Little
Wyatt MacLean
Britain Marshall
Ella Marshall
Michael McCarthy
Patrick McLaren
Wyatt McNabb
Carson McNeice
Curtis Metcalf
Lucas Noe
Ethan Oldham
Ethan Park
Adam Perry
Julia Policicchio
Olivia Redmond
Tyson Secher
Raina Shabnam
Eshal Shahid
Abhi Shankar
Cecylia Smith
Patriina Solomon
David Taylor
Joshua Van Myall
Alivea Vance
Braden Warnell
Jacob Weirmier
Angela Williams
Lainie Yeaman

Back row, from left, Patrick McLaren (Science Award), Britain Marshall (Music Award), Carson McNeice (The Squires Memorial Music Award), Clara Howe (Northport Award of Excellence, History Award (OPC Leadership Award and Valedictorian Award), Lucas Noe (Valedictorian Award and OPC Leadership Award), Wyatt MacLean (Most Improved Student Award), Michael McCarthy (Friendship Award), Emily Little (Literacy Award), Serenity Elijah (CUPE Award and Grandfather Teaching–Truth). Front row, from left, Olivia Redmond (Physical and Health Education Award), Sara Etedali-Zadeh (French Award), Kayla Atkinson (Inspiring Possibilities Award), Eshal Shahid (Visual Arts Award), Wyatt McNabb (Physical and Health Education Award), Angela Williams (Science Award and Academic Excellence Award), Ella Marshall (Service Above Self Award), Abhi Shankar (Geography Award), Adam Perry (Mathematics Award).

Northport Elementary graduating students Alivea Vance (left) and Chloe Lalonde stand with Principal Suzanne Kennedy and Vice Principal Wendy Cumming at their Hawaiian themed graduation celebration June 24.

From left, Northport Grade 8 teachers Jaffe Keeling, Graham Harada and Cristina Ashby stand with students Carson McNeice, Curtis Metcalf and Patrick McLaren.

From left, Ethan Park, Josh Van Myall and Nicholas Embro post for a photo at their graduation ceremony June 24.

Presented by Vice Principal Wendy Cumming (left) and Principal Suzanne Kennedy, Valedictorians Lucas Noe and Clara Howe both received the Principal's Award for student leadership.

Saugeen First Nation Education Department's Mindy Gill presented Serenity Elijah with a Grandfather Teaching–Truth Award.

Northport's former music teacher Andrea Rideout presented Britain Marshall with the Music Award.

Angela Williams received the Science Award from Grade 8 teacher Cristina Ashby. Williams also won the Academic Excellence Award.

Wyatt MacLean was presented with the Most Improved Student Award from Northport teacher Sue Jamieson and Rhonda and Bob Harrison of the Port Elgin Legion who donated the award.