Josh W., Graduation Dinner Student Speaker
Everybody, we have been at Graland for a hot minute. Over the past 10 years we've learned a lot. We have had ups and downs, A lot of crazy experiences, and a whole lot of grammar homework. Throughout middle school, we all experienced a new level of difficulty in education, and by that I mean mostly 8th grade. But we all somehow powered through it all and made it to today. Middle school has been long, and we have all changed so much during this time. We’re all much bigger than we were (most of us) and our characters have changed so much. I think if most of us talked to our 5th grade selves, we would probably be incredibly embarrassed. Though my absolute favorite part of middle school and Graland as a whole were the big trips.
From the ropes course of La Foret, to the CVS pharmacy in Georgetown, to Pancake Rock, these trips were some of my favorite experiences of my life. At Graland we've learned a lot in many fun ways. We had the trips I just mentioned, we had so many fun classes in lower school and band class, and we had a lot of short field trips, from Denver's Capitol to Pete's Fruits and Vegetables. We also had lots of fun traditions, such as Grandparents and Special Friends Day to the Graland Carnival which has rained out every year since 2015. Our Graland memories are shaped by lots of traditions. We had the Kindergarten Rodeo, where we dressed up as cowboys and sang the one little coyote song. 2nd Grade had the Biography T which always ages perfectly. 3rd grade had the Newbery contest, you had to read 25 Newbery books and you got put on the wall. I did extensive research to find the shortest books possible, but at least I'm on the wall. 5th grade we would have been knighting but instead we had zoom calls and Covid. 7th grade we finally started school sports, you know, 7th grade reminded me of a time when we could bean ISD with ease. 8th grade we got the grand tradition of homework and a dress code that everybody agreed upon and had no issues with at all. No but seriously we have had so many experiences together, so on behalf of all of us, thank you so much to the teachers and your patience with me, I would like to thank the parents and families, who came here tonight and for supporting us throughout this decade. And To all my classmates, good luck in high school and remember to do your grammar homework.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
