Graduate at Graduation Panel Presentations

Our Eighth Grade class breathed a collective sigh of relief on Friday, May 21 with the completion of their Graduate at Graduation Panel Presentations. This rite of passage is something these students have been working toward since they started school at Saint Patrick. Over the course of their Eighth Grade year, students were challenged to look back and, with honest self-discernment, write an essay about their growth in The Life of Mind, The Life of Spirit, The Life of Vocation, The Life of Relationship, and The Physical Life. To help them remember all the way back to when they were Wolfhound pups, they were able to use their Journey Portfolios, a collection of schoolwork, photographs, awards, and reflections that the students have gathered since kindergarten. Using their essays as a guide, the students then created an oral presentation to give to a panel of adults made up of parents, teachers, board members, community members, and alumni. One student acknowledged the challenge this way, "How do I sum up 10 years in 10 minutes?" Well, this student, and his classmates, rose to the challenge and spoke with eloquence, confidence, and honesty about their triumphs and struggles.

Last year, Panel Presentations were largely held is a virtual setting, but this week’s Panels signaled a return to a sense of normalcy.  We could not have been more excited to welcome parents, grandparents, and friends back on campus. Not only did our Eighth Grade students prove they are ready for the next chapter in their lives, but this moment helped bring our Wolfhound community together once again. Congratulations to the Class of 2021 on a job well done!