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227 Main Street
Goshen, NY 10924
(845) 615.6720
Roy Reese
Superintendent
link to District Homepage link to Scotchtown Elementary page link to Goshen Intermediate School link to C.J. Hooker Middle School link to Goshen High School
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Ask the Superintendent - June 21, 2006


Each year at this time, four groups of students in our schools will leave the familiar confines they have known for years and venture forth to different schools and greater opportunities. This is truly a special time for the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 12th grade students as they move along their educational path.

The Scotchtown Avenue School has an informal end of the year assembly attended by faculty, students and staff to mark the occasion of the last day of school for 2nd grade students. It is an age appropriate assembly for students to bring closure to their final year in SAS. This brief “get together” is just enough to set the stage for these students as they begin to look forward to 3rd grade in another school.

Attending the 5th and 8th grade Moving Up Ceremonies is always one of the highlights of the school year. It is a happy time for students, parents and teachers alike. The ceremonies are designed to culminate three years of successful work and accomplishments in the Goshen Intermediate School and C.J. Hooker Middle School. Parents, teachers, and administrators beam with pride and then surrounded by picture taking and nostalgia, prepare to send their students on a journey to a “new school.”

The 5th grade Moving Up Ceremony falls somewhere in between the 2nd grade assembly and the slightly more elaborate 8th grade ceremony. As the students progress through the grades, the ceremonies also grow in scope until the culmination of their twelve years in school is celebrated with their graduation from Goshen High School. That ceremony is arguably one of the most beautiful high school commencements I have ever had the privilege to attend.

All of the other “moving up ceremonies” have a very important place in the lives of our students, but these events are stepping stones to prepare our students for graduation. High School Graduation is the ultimate goal for everyone and this ceremony must always be paramount in our district. Graduation and the Class of 2006 will be the focus of my article next week.

Roy Reese
Superintendent of Schools