EMS, Anne Hutch and Greenvale Hold 'Moving Up' Events, Celebrate Student Milestones

The EUFSD celebrated the achievements of its students this week, acknowledging a year filled with learning, growth and excitement ahead of a long—and well-deserved—summer recess. 

But the moment was even more poignant for those students bidding farewell to the schools that they have called home for the last several years, as the moving up ceremonies at Anne Hutchinson, Greenvale and Eastchester Middle School paid tribute not only to the tremendous work that students have done to this point, but also celebrated the boundless opportunities open to our youngsters as they continue their academic journeys. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the fifth graders at Greenvale and Anne Hutchinson celebrated the end of their time as elementary schoolers with ceremonies in the EHS/EMS auditorium. But even as they prepare for the new challenges they will undoubtedly face as middle schoolers, they were reminded that some of the most important lessons they have learned throughout their time at the two Grades 2-5 schools have uses far beyond the classroom.

“There will be times in middle school, and later in life, when things will feel very difficult. There will be moments when you are challenged, when you struggle, when you feel uncertain, and it seems much easier to quit,” Anne Hutchinson Principal Laura Cappiello told her students. “Throughout your years here, we have focused on values such as grit, resilience, inclusivity, kindness and determination. These aren’t just words we placed on our gratitude trees, or things we discussed during our HEART assemblies. These are qualities that help people accomplish really great things. Those lessons matter, and they work.”

Greenvale Principal Joanna Sanese offered up a similar tone, charging the rising sixth graders to engage the world on their own terms and to continue to push themselves to discover who they are and what they hope to accomplish.

“Over the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of watching you grow into competent leaders, talented musicians, skilled athletes, inquisitive problem-solvers and —most importantly—caring friends,” said Sanese. “As you move on to Eastchester Middle School, there will be new opportunities and experiences and, yes, quite a few challenges. “Embrace them,” she added. “Be curious, be brave, continue to be kind, and most importantly, be yourself!”

And while Eastchester Middle School prepares for the arrival of a new cohort of students next fall, the eighth graders who have called EMS home for the last three years will be moving up to the high school and beginning the final leg of their journey in Eastchester’s schools. 

Eighth grader Leila DeVivo, who—along with Stella Bowman—was selected to give remarks at the EMS Moving Up Ceremony on Thursday, said that she and her classmates should cherish the experiences that have led them to this point and continue to call upon the lessons they have learned throughout their time in Eastchester as they ready themselves for high school.

“The way EMS has shaped us all into the people we are today is something we should take a minute to consider,” said DeVivo. “I think everyone can remember their sixth-grade self, and it’s probably—and hopefully—different than they are today.

“We’ve all had amazing teachers and made new friends that will stay with us forever, and we’ve done long, challenging homework assignments, all while making a million memories none of us will ever forget,” she added. “We may officially be the EHS class of 2030, but we are the EMS Class of 2026.”

Congratulations to all of our students on completing another wonderful year!