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Parental involvement in education
Parental involvement in education
Theories of parental involvement in education
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Hello, good morning and welcome to graduation for the class of 2012. I have waited to hear those words for 5 years - and by the looks on all of my fellow graduates faces, I am not alone. Think with me for a minute about the process we have gone through which has gathered us here today. Our stories of these past years are not much different. Whether you went to a community college, transferred here from another four-year school or started your freshman year in the dorms near the entrance of this campus, we are finally finishing together.
My brother asked me how I was able to finish college. I told him it is because I enjoy learning and I always finish. No matter if I unplug my computer and lose all my work, I stay up until I finish. In my opinion the joy of learning and the gift of finishing are not things we learn in college. These are skills we bring with us and apply to our studies. And no matter where or how you learn them, you never forget them.
I can credit my mom for giving me the joy of learning. I spent my first five years of life growing up in a small town called Plain. Given the name of Plain I’m sure I don’t have to waste your time explaining the ins and outs of this small community. The one colorful part about Plain was the people who lived there. Being that an elementary school was so far away, the community set up a home school system and my mom was one of the teachers. Having my mom as a teacher in kindergarten was like having recess all day long. However, she could always get me involved using her amazing imagination. When our family had to move to North Fork, Colorado to follow my dad’s job, my mother continued to teach me as well as my brother Andy. Her creativity never stopped...
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...sh a job, I am a college graduate and will now work smarter.
As a speaker at our graduation I am supposed to represent all of the graduating class from State University but I don’t see the relevancy in that. I am only one story in this diverse group of experiences. However, we were all achievers growing up, we have been a success in college and we will be the difference in the future and that is something I am proud to represent. Allow me to speak for all of us when I say thank you to this school for giving us our college experiences, to the teachers in our departments for opening our minds to the world and to all those who have shaped our lives up until this point giving us the drive to learn and the ability to finish this monumental goal. We will make it up to each and everyone of you in the future with our positive influence on the world. Thank you…
I would like to begin this evening by welcoming all of my classmates, staff, parents and guardians, the school board and superintendent, friends, and relatives to the commencement of the class of 2012.
When I was in elementary school, I loved to read. I was a total nerd back then ... okay maybe I still am, but one thing has changed. Now I don't so much like reading. My favorite poet was Shel Silverstein, who wrote "Where the Sidewalk Ends." He seemed like he was a total hippie, but that's cool because I like hippies. My grandma is a recovering hippie. I like her too. Anyway, Shel Silverstein wrote about the coolest things. He wrote about magical erasers, eating whales and a boy with long hair flying away from people who were taunting him. He captured all of the things that I loved without knowing that I actually loved them. Now you may ask, how does this hippie relate to our graduation? Well, he wrote a poem entitled "Traffic Light" and this is how it goes:
Good evening. Some of you out there may not realize this but those of you who attended Suntime Middle School have been with this guy for the last seven years. I would like to ask you all, not just Suntime Middle School grads and who all else, to join me in thanking Mr. Weather for his patience and dedication to the success of our education over the years. We are the Class of 2000. The first graduating class of the new millennium. The past four years have been pretty wild. We started out as a bunch of rats in a small cage, but as time went by we learned and matured and became big rats in a new small cage, but in any case, the cage door is now opening; the handlers turning us wild things loose. As we leave "Where the Wild Things Are," home to some of the best cat fights, fist fights and food fights this side of the Cascades, I have a little surprise for all of you sitting in front of me here tonight in your caps and gowns … we ain’t seen nothing yet!
I have been given an awesome privilege to be able to call Hope College my home for the last four years. The memories I have had here will last a lifetime. From the friends I have developed with professors, students, to Phelps and Cook employees. I can honestly say that there has not been a bad experience with any of these people. It’s been awesome here at Hope! This experience has taught me many different life lessons and helped mold the legacy in which I feel I will leave behind when I am done. The legacy I want to leave behind entails one of respect, and hard working. I will tie all of these together will explicit examples from here at Hope and will end with how I plan to finish up on a positive note.
Good afternoon, I would like to begin by thanking the staff for the privilege of speaking before you on this bittersweet day. It seems like this past year has been a jumble of excitement, reminiscence of the past and uncertainty for the future. After dreaming about graduating since we jumped off the bus on the first day of kindergarten, it's finally here.
College is not the end of the journey. Students need to be reminded constantly that their learning will continue on into their careers and life. All the learning activities and assignments are simply a foundation for the skill of the lifelong learner. The instructor simply points them out and directs the student.
Well guys, we've made it. We've made it through four years of one of the most highly involved times in our lives. We've seen all, we've done all, and at this point in the year, most of us have probably had enough of it all. If you think about it, four school years is really a long time. four years of high school is equal to 720 school days, 4,320 class periods, and if you're a busy guy like me and you tend to count things by the minute, then it might surprise you to know that we've been in class for about 237,600 minutes. Class of 2006- are you ready to graduate?
It is probably a mistake that I am standing here giving a speech for graduation. In fact it is probably a mistake that I am even graduating from this school at all -- believe me, just as most people in this class I have tested the limits of attendance, of sleeplessness, and of procrastination. At the beginning of my high schooling, I was even testing dropping out ... and if that wasn't a mistake, I don't know what was. After four years of Starr altering our minds, it seemed most fitting for me to spend my four minutes talking about mistakes. Thank goodness for them, by the way -- it is only when we truly screw up big time that we are ever stopped in our tracks -- stopped, briefly, to learn lessons of worth.
Welcome friends, family, and the graduating class of 2016. I am honored to stand here before you to give this final address, even if mine is not the “final” address since Letitia and Hailey will also present their speeches, but I digress. I am so thankful for everyone who helped me, helped us get this far - whether you’re a teacher, parent, or one of the 28 friends I see before me who I have come to know and love these last few years. I would also like to thank those who are in attendance today. You show how much you care for us by your presence, and I’m sure every student here is just as glad as I am to have you with us on this remarkable day.
Class of 2012, as we sit here this evening, I would like you to take a look at the classmates sitting around you. Many students have given countless hours of time, energy, and passion to worthy cuases that they have been a part of throughout high school. However, those aren't the only students deserving of recognition this evening. We have students here tonight, who have taken a stand for what they believe in, not even hesitating to compromise their reputations.
Today, as we graduate, with degree nearly in hand, I challenge each of you to make a difference in whatever you do. Remember that life didn't end when we re-entered school. Life continued throughout our program. Even when stretched to the limit, life only got more challenging. And now, graduating, life only changes pace. Our degree completion is not really an ending as much as a new beginning as we re-enter our lives of work and home. We thank all of our family, friends, instructors and co-workers who helped see us through this process. Thank you for this opportunity and good luck to you all.
Good evening parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and friends. I would like to thank you all for coming to this very special day. I know how proud you must be. As we have grown over the years, there are many stages we all have gone through. From learning our shapes and colors, to getting our first kiss in middle school, or how about explaining to our parents why we skipped school because the principal called home. As we remember these days, things that we've done will be with us forever. But this is only the start of our journey. The day has come where we say goodbye to the big yellow buses, assemblies, assigned seating, and attendance policies. Are you really gonna miss it? For some of us maybe not right away. But eventually we will so for us to be here it is not necessarily an achievement, but a privilege. All of us have been in school over half our lives. To graduate is one more step we've taken in our lives.
Let me begin by saying that I am very honored to be addressing the County High School Class of 2012 as students of this institution for the last time. We've spent these last four years creating some serious memories: four years of chieftain power, leaking roofs, questionable Homecoming skits, and musical principals. Four years of good teachers, bad teachers, new teachers, old teachers. Four years of youth, music, growing up and breaking free. Four rubber chickens, four yearbooks, four ASB presidents and four chubby bunnies.
Graduation is an exciting time in a person’s life, especially a high school graduation. When I think of family and friends gathering together to celebrate a joyous occasion, I feel I accomplished my strongest goal. It never occurred to me that graduation would be the end of my youth and the start of adulthood. Graduating from high school was an influential event that gave me an altered outlook on my existence. Life before graduation, preparing for graduation day, and commencement day overwhelmed me for reality.
Graduation: the last day that I would unwillingly set foot on the fields of Horizon High School. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest, and tried so hard to keep my feet moving one after the other in order to maintain my perfect stature. After the two hour wait of opening speeches, class songs, and the calling off of the five hundred plus names that were in front of me, it was finally my turn. As my row stood up and we walked towards the stage it had set in at last, this is it, I am done. My high school career ended on that night, but it didn’t close the book that is my life, it only started a new chapter, and with it came a whole slue of uncertainties.