Celebrating the Accomplishments of Our Students

Below are my opening remarks from the Awards Assembly. I hope they capture my tremendous pride in all that our students have accomplished this year.

Welcome students, teachers, parents and guests. Thank you for being here today as we recognize and celebrate the many accomplishments of the Greenwood community. The support you have given our students - not only today, but throughout the year - has contributed to their ability to achieve their goals and encouraged them to even set out to try in the first place.

This is a wonderful opportunity to formally celebrate the hard work and talents of the students at Greenwood. Today, we look back on the achievements of the past school year and honour those who demonstrated a desire to improve; who committed themselves to their studies and interests, and pursued their personal bests.

Before we formally recognize the award winners, I would like to take a moment to congratulate all of you for committing to your school work and your community, for demonstrating perseverance and putting forth your best effort every day. I’d like to commend you on your willingness to accept feedback, take smart risks and model Greenwood’s values. While today we recognize the outstanding achievements of a select group of students, who are truly deserving of this special recognition, I would also like to acknowledge at this time those of you who may not receive an award today, but who achieved your goals, strove for success and did the right thing, even when no one was watching.

Through your work in the classroom and through such pursuits as service learning, athletics, outdoor education and the arts, let’s all continue to practise the values that contribute to the Intellectual, Moral, Performance and Civic Character that we value at Greenwood.

Recipients, I hope you enjoy being acknowledged for your achievements and feel the pride of your community. Congratulations!