If Travis Kelce had not publicly shared on his podcast that he tried to give Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it at her Kansas City concert – the two would not be married today.
Wilberforce Elementary School principal Mike Gervais told the graduating class last Wednesday (June 24) that 90 per cent of success – like Kelce did – is just showing up. “Because the coolest things in life happen when you just show up. Think about that.”
He said when the eight grads first came to the school for Grade 4, they were small and wide-eyed but are now taller and wiser. He said they had survived the rollercoaster of elementary school, making staff laugh, proud, and a few students causing them to consider early retirement. However, he had nothing but praise for the graduates.
Valedictorians, Morgan McKnight and Emmett Wimperly, thanked teachers. They reminisced about a great school trip to Toronto to see a Blue Jays game. They noted that being such a small class allowed them to get close, and teachers and staff to know the students well.
They borrowed a phrase from teacher Jacob Findeis who often says, “it’s okay not to know, but it’s not okay not to ask’.”
Highlands East mayor Dave Burton told grads they could accomplish anything with hard work and determination.
And, retiring school board trustee, Gary Brohman, noted it takes a community to get graduates to the podium.
He said their pending journey to high school starts with hard work, with his trademark advice: “go to class, go to class, go to class.” He said high school would be the best years of their lives.
The grad also marked the retirement of long-time secretary Sandy MacDonald, and the departure of teacher Rachel Manol.
MacDonald said, “this has been the best school that I’ve ever worked in. I came here, and it is the diamond in the rough, and it is the families, and the community, and the students. I am going to miss all of that so much.”
She wished the grads well, and said she looked forward to hearing about their journeys into the future.
Graduates: Ameira Burke-Campbell; Clayton Cline; Isabella Lamb; Morgan McKnight; Phoenix Oldfield; Ryan Downey; Conner Wiebe and Emmett Wimperly.
