Greenacres Fifth Graders Move Up

In a joyous celebration, a moving up ceremony for members of the Greenacres Class of 2022 was held in the new multipurpose room of the school on June 22, 2022. The space was decorated with a large Greenacres sign made of green and white ballo0ns, behind bright green chairs.

The class had weathered two years of construction, the trials of remote learning and social distancing during COVID and navigated a host of unusual circumstances during their tenure at the school. So it was lovely to see their smiling faces as parents, grandparents and teachers lauded their success.

Fifth graders filed in and started with the school song, followed by welcoming remarks from Principal Sharon Hill. She called the students flexible, creative, optimistic, and resilient and said, “We are extremely proud of you.” She said the students have a “solid foundation for future pursuits,” and “are ready to take the next steps,” using their “critical thinking and problem solving” skills. She advised them to “achieve your very best, make good choices, to be curious, patient, to exercise empathy and kindness,” and said, “the doors of Scarsdale Middle School will be open wide.”

Each student was named individually and stood to loud applause.

Dr. Blackhurst, Mr. Missett and Mr. Orengo, who are music teachers at the school formed a trio to perform “In My Life” by the Beatles, and then Assistant Principal Sharon De Lorenzo continued a long tradition of acknowledging families whose last child was leaving Greenacres.

After a spirited performance of “Rise Up” by the fifth graders, a video montage of the class through the years was shown, with cameos from each graduating student, saying phrases such as, “I am powerful, I am unique, I am adventurous, I am creative, I am intelligent, I am incredible, I am imaginative, I am friendly, I am awesome.” It was a show of confidence from students on their way to a new school and a new stage in their development.

Benjamin Pearson and Mercedes Rodriguez Lecuona An announcement was made about a gift of tulip bulbs and plants to be given to the school by the fifth grade class.

Awards were granted in the name of Paulie Jimenez to those who went above and beyond in being inclusive and kind. This year the awards went to Benjamin Pearson and Mercedes Rodriguez Lecuona and they came to the front to be applauded.

With that, the class filed out and received a gift of an SMS sweatshirt, which most put on immediately on the cool cloudy day. Families and friends posed in front of the large Greenacres sign and there were smiles all around.